In the Pseudochrominae the pelvic fin has a single spine and five rays which are branched, the head is covered in scales, there are teeth on the palatine bone and there are 16-20 rays in the pectoral fin.

Their distribution extends from the eastern coast of Africa, east across the Indo-Pacific region to American Samoa.

The southern limits of the distribution is Durban in South Africa and the Elizabeth Reef in the northern Tasman Sea off Australia and north as far as southern Japan.

A few pseudochromines are social but most are fiercely territorial, defending small areas as home ranges and usually live solitarily, as pairs or very small groups of a male and a few females.

Many species produce a "fluffy", round egg mass which the male often guards in a small cave or burrow, the mass is formed by the interlinking of the filaments which cover the half of the surface of each egg which is opposite the micropyle, these filaments are attached to the surface of the egg by a small loaf-like structure.