Species in the genus have a cosmopolitan distribution,[2] they are also found in northern temperate regions, especially in Europe.

[5] The family is classified as incertae sedis with respect to ordinal placement in the Lecanoromycetidae, as there is no reliable molecular data available to establish phylogenetic relationships with similar taxa.

[7] The family Biatorellaceae was originally proposed by French lichenologist Maurice Choisy in 1949,[8] but he did not publish the name validly.

[10] Biatorellaceae species are crustose lichens with a chlorococcoid photobiont partner (i.e., green algae of the genus Chlorococcum).

The lichens have ascomata in the form of biatorine apothecia, which often have a reduced margin around the edge.