Paracaristius is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Caristiidae, the manefishes.

[2] Fish in this genus are separated from similar taxa by the arrangement of their teeth.

They have compressed heads with very short snouts, small mouths, and two nostrils.

The dorsal fin extends along nearly the whole top edge of the body, and the pectoral fin is "delicate" and "fan-like".

[2] Neocaristius heemstrai has since been moved from Paracaristius and placed in a new genus of its own.