Moderately elongate, fusiform (body height > 1/3 SL); mouth moderate to small, at front or below, horizontal to slightly oblique; teeth on jaws in bands; chin without barbels; preoperculum smooth or slightly serrated at angle; gill rakers short; dorsal fin X-XI spines, 21-24 rays, deeply notched between 2 parts; anal fin with short base, 2nd spine moderate length (~ ½ length of 1st ray), 9-10 rays.
A tropical to warm temperate genus with 4 species, occurs in the temperate southeastern Pacific (3 endemic species, with one of them entering the southern fringe of our region), as well as both sides of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
