All fins without spines. Dorsal fin located above anal fin at the rear part of body, and no semi-isolated spine in front of the fins. Pelvic fin abdominal, with 6 soft rays. Teeth of jaws minute in bands. Posterior margin of upper jaw remarkebly extending beyond eye. No scale on side. Skin rouge because of minute spines closely grown. A thick and tubular lateral line on side.
Distribution:
Deep sea of Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans.
Remarks:
Monotypic family represented by this species. Other families of Cetomimiformes are distinguishable from this family by following characters:Cetomimidae have no scales on side, and skin smooth, no pelvic fin; Rondeletiidae have no scales on side, and skin smooth, posterior margin of upper jaw not extending beyond eye, and no thick tubular lateral line. (Uyeno and Sato)