The family Chaunacidae was first recorded in northern offshore waters of New Zealand by Stephenson (1971)
who reported two species: Chaunax penicillatus McCulloch, 1915, captured in 1969 from east of the Aldermen
Islands at 365–475 m depth, and Chaunax pictus Lowe, 1846, captured in 1962 from the northern Three Kings
Ridge (outside the NZ EEZ) at 537–676 m.