[3] The majority of species in this family are found in Antarctic waters and near Australia.

[5] Members of this family have a small, Ophiurida-like disc, clearly demarcated from the arms, which number more than five.

The disc is approximately circular with a rim of fused plates which gives rigidity.

After a narrow cylindrical portion, the part of the arms closest to the disc accommodates the gonadal tissues and widens out somewhat.

They differ from Brisingidae in having the interradial arcs curved, having smaller madreporites, having bare interadial plates on the disc, having the aboral (upper) surface of the arms continuous with the disc, and having the plates on the proximal parts of the arms abutting rather than overlapping each other.