Pinecone fishes are popular subjects of public aquaria, but are both expensive and considered a challenge for the hobbyist to maintain.

These fish are aptly named; their rounded, compressed bodies are completely covered (with the exception of the caudal peduncle) with very large, strong, platelike scales called scutes, which are fortified with prominent ridges.

Pinecone fishes inhabit the sublittoral zone, and are associated with ledges and caves, rocky and (occasionally) coral reefs over a hard bottom.

Found at 10–200 m deep (with juveniles frequenting the shallower end of this range), pinecone fishes are nocturnal and form schools.

The photophores are thought to play a role in attracting the zooplankton upon which the fish feed; intraspecific communication may also be a use for the light.