See text Bathyphylax is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes.

[2] In 1968 the American ichthyologist James C. Tyler classified this genus in the nominate subfamily of the family Triacanthodidae, the Triacanthodinae.

[3] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the family Triacanthodidae in the suborder Triacanthoidei in the order Tetraodontiformes.

[5] There are currently three recognized species in this genus:[6] Bathphylax spike fishes have a flat lower surface to the pelvis, the pelvis tapers to a point to the rear being much broader between the spines of the pelvic fins and at its rear, this feature places the genus in the subfamily Triacanthodinae, and it is around twice as long as it is wide.

They have a snout which is shorter than the length of the head and of the diameter of the orbit but the smout is longer than the distance between the upper eye and the gill cover.