They are readily recognized by their anatomy — a long, compressed, tape-like body, short head, narrow mouth and feeble teeth.

The species from the Atlantic has occurred chiefly on the northern coasts, Iceland, Scandinavia, Orkney, and Scotland.

The north Atlantic species is known in English as deal fish, in Icelandic as vogmær[1] and in Swedish as vågmär.

S. Nilsson, however, in Scandinavia observed a living specimen in two or three fathoms (4–5 m) of water moving something like a flatfish with one side turned obliquely upwards.

[1] A specimen of Trachipterus ishikawae was discovered on a beach in Kenting, Taiwan, in November 2007, alive but with a 10-cm cut wound to its side, and was returned to deeper water.