[1][2] They are slender and rather elongate in body shape, comparable to minnows; ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann, who named the subfamily, likened them to smelt.

[3] Their scales are often brightly colored or reflective, and this, combined with their small size, makes them a potential target for the aquarium industry.

[7] The maxilla is equipped with multicuspid incisor teeth, contracted at the base and flaring outwards.

[8] When first classified in 1909 by ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann, Iguanodectinae was placed in the family Characidae; at the time, it had a sole representative in the genus Iguanodectes.

[14][15] Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and GBIF simply don't acknowledge it, uniting the genera therein.

[1] Iguanodectes (Cope, 1982) Piabucus (Oken, 1817) All members of Iguanodectinae from both genera reside in South America.

[20] When in captivity, species from both genera have been observed to be intolerant of poor water conditions, demonstrating a preference for a well-oxygenated environment.

[9] Carl H. Eigenmann noted in 1929 that the root allusion was not made clear in the original materials for Iguanodectes;[3] modern consensus, however, agrees with the analysis he subsequently provided, that it originates in "iguana", the lizard, and the Greek word "dectes", which means "to bite" or "to devour".

[23] Drawing from this, the common name "lizard bite tetra" for the entire family Iguanodectidae has been proposed, but has not been accepted.