The virions have a viral envelope and a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome which is linear and unsegmented.

The subfamily is hitherto bigeneric with the two genera Bafinivirus and Oncotshavirus.

Both genera comprise rod shaped (bacilliform) viruses with relatively large genoms like they mostly occur in the nidoviruses.

Occasionally, also strongly pleomorphic (e. g. spheric) virions were observed.

[citation needed] The subfamily contains the following genera, subgenera, and species:[3]