Acanthanectes gen. nov., with two species, A. hystrix sp. nov. and A. rufus sp. nov., is described. The genus is distinguished by having four spines in the first dorsal fin, a single anal-fin spine, lateral branching spinelets on the spines of the dorsal fins, papillae on the head with embedded spinelets, the spinelets ankylosed to the skull and the basisphenoid reduced or absent. Comments are also made on the status of the subfamilies, the Tripterygiinae and Lepidoblenniinae, proposed by R. Rosenblatt (unpubl. dissert.).