The two genera and seven species of this family are found in the deeper waters of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

[1] The type genus of the family, Diceratias, had been proposed as a subgenus of Ceratias in 1887 by the German-born British ichthyologist Albert Günther with its type species being Caratias bispinosus which Günther had described from a holotype collected from off Banda Island at a depth of 360 fathoms (2,160 ft; 660 m) on the Challenger expedition of 1872-1876.

[2] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies this family in the suborder Ceratioidei of the anglerfish order Lophiiformes.

[4] The double angler family, Diceratiidae, is made up of two genera with seven recognised valid species: Doubleanglers are sexually dimorphic.

They also have a large mouth which reaches back beyond the eye, a well developed spine on the symphysis of the mandible which reaches just past the maxilla, the presence of vomerine teeth,[5] there are spines in the skin, the dorsal fin has between five and seven rays while the anal fin has four rays and they have a small pelvic bone which is joined to the cleithrum.