See text Gymnelinae is a subfamily of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts.

Gymenlinae was first proposed as a taxonomic grouping in 1861 by Theodore Gill.

[1] The subfamily is classified within the eelpout family, Zoarcidae part of the suborder Zoarcoidei within the order Scorpaeniformes.

[2] The name of the subfamily derives from its type genus, Gymnelus, which means "naked eel" and refers to the scaleless body of its type species Gymnelus viridis.

Their branchiostegal membranes have a wide joint with the isthmus, the gill slit typically reaches to around the centre of the base of the pectoral fin, although it may just be a small pore placed high above the pectoral fin.