The
Centriscidae are a family of fishes from the order
Syngnathiformes which includes the
snipefishes,
shrimpfishes, and
bellowfishes. A small family, consisting of only about a dozen marine species, they are of an unusual appearance, as reflected by their common names. The members of the genera
Aeoliscus and
Centriscus are restricted to relatively shallow, tropical parts of the
Indo-Pacific, while the remaining species mainly are found in deeper parts of tropical, subtropical or southern oceans.