Melodichthys n. gen., containing M. hadrocephalus n. sp. (type species) and M. paxtoni n. sp. is described and placed in the bythitid fish subfamily Brosmophycinae because of having the caudal fin separate from the dorsal and anal fins. Melodichthys differs from all other genera in the subfamily by its high number of developed gill rakers. M. hadrocephalus caught off Brittany and M. paxtoni from off New South Wales are very different but are for the present treated as congeneric.