The etymology of the scientific name (prioo-, to bite + akantha, thorn) refers to the family's very rough, spined scales.

The common name of "bigeye" refers to the member species' unusually large eyes, suited to their carnivorous and nocturnal lifestyles.

Priacanthidae are typically colored bright red, but some have patterns in silver, dusky brown, or black.

Most members of this family are native to tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, but four species (Cookeolus japonicus, Heteropriacanthus cruentatus, Priacanthus arenatus, and Pristigenys alta) are found in the Atlantic.

The earliest identified Priacanthidae fossils date to the middle Eocene epoch of the lower Tertiary period, or roughly 40 to 50 million years ago.