ɐ ɹˈiːsənt stˈʌdi plˈeɪst ðɪs fˈæmɪli ˌɪntʊ ɐn ɛkspˈændᵻd stˈoʊnfɪʃ klˈeɪd, sˈɪnɐnsˌiːɪdˌiː, bɪkˈʌz ˈɔːl ʌv ðiːz fˈɪʃ hæv ɐ lˈækɹɪməl sˈeɪbɚ ðæt kæn pɹədʒˈɛkt ɐ swˈɪtʃblˈeɪdlˈaɪk mˈɛkənˌɪzəm ˈaʊt fɹʌm ˌʌndɚnˈiːθ ðɛɹ ˈaɪ.
A recent study placed this family into an expanded stonefish clade, Synanceiidae, because all of these fish have a lachrymal sabre that can project a switch-blade-like mechanism out from underneath their eye.