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The genus <i>Dichichthys</i> was resurrected for five species previously allocated to the genus <i>Parmaturus</i> in the family Pentanchidae. Supraorbital crests on the chondrocranium distinguish <i>Dichichthys</i> from <i>Parmaturus</i> and other members of the family Pentanchidae. A new family, Dichichthyidae, has been proposed to contain <i>Dichichthys</i>. The sequence of the NADH2 mitochondrial gene confirms the placement of <i>Dichichthys</i> outside of the Pentanchidae family, as well as separate from the Atelomycteridae and Scyliorhinidae families. <i>Dichichthys albimarginatus</i> was described using a holotype collected off the coast of New Caledonia. A second juvenile specimen collected off the coast of Papua New Guinea was tentatively assigned as <i>D.</i> cf. <i>albimarginatus</i>. <i>Dichichthys bigus</i> is known from the holotype collected in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland, Australia. A new, parasite-afflicted underwater observation was reported further north of Queensland. The type species <i>Dichichthys melanobranchus</i>, previously only known from juvenile specimens, was redescribed based on adult specimens. <i>Dichichthys nigripalatum</i> is known from the holotype collected off Sumbawa, Indonesia, and a tentatively identified photo record from West Java. <i>Dichichthys satoi</i> n. sp. is described from the West Norfolk Ridge and off the North Island of New Zealand. Members of the genus <i>Dichichthys</i> have unique curved egg cases which have pliable ridges made up of numerous fibres and long coiled tendrils on the posterior end.