In 1899 the Australian ichthyologist Edgar Ravenswood Waite put forward the new name Pterygotrigla to replace Guichenot's name.

[2] This genus, along with the monotypic Bovitrigla, makes up the subfamily Pterygotriglinae within the family Triglidae.

[4] The common name used for most of the species classified within this genus is gurnard which derives from the croaking sound they create when caught.

[5] There are currently 31 recognized species in this genus:[2][6] and these are classified into subgenera as follows:[4] Pterygotrigla gurnards are characterised by having the pterygiophores of the spiny dorsal fin flattened into plate-like structures, there are less than 65 scales along the lateral line and they have 26-28 vertebrae in their spine.

[10] Pterygotrigla gurnards are found in the Indo-Pacific from the eastern coast of Africa, including the Red Sea, east into the western central Pacific Ocean.