Body elongate, low, cylindrical anteriorly, compressed behind. 
Head robust, low, flattened above. Snout broad, obtuse. Eye supralateral, 
advanced, small. Mouth large, oblique, lower Jaw projecting in front. 
Tongue free, little convex in front. Band of villiform teeth in each Jaw, 
outer row little enlarged. Interorbital little convex, greater than eye. 
Preopercle with small spine, more or less concealed, at angle. Nostrils 
widely separated, anterior pair tubular. No barbeIs. Gill openings extend 
little forward below, isthmus moderately wide. Front gill rakers of first 
arch few, thick, about 8 on lower limb. Psendobranchiae present. Scales 
small, 40 to 65 in lateral axial row, mostly cycloid on nape, breast and 
abdomen, others ctenoid. Head with small cycloid scales, extend forward 
to hind nostrils, cover and cheeks and opercles; often concealed in mucous 
in preserved specimens. Snout, upper surface of head, cheeks, opercles 
and mandible with many rows of microscopic mucigerous papillae. Dorsals 
well separated, first with 6 or 7 flexible spines, and 9 rays. Anal like 
soft dorsal. Caudal and pectorals rounded. Ventrals widely separated, 
each with spine and 5 rays. 
Species numerous, along the coasts and in rivers, between the 
tropics. 
