Found in temperate to tropical waters of North and South America; some may also inhabit brackish environments.

These blennies are named well: sand stargazers have protruding eyes on the top of their heads, fixed in an upward gaze, and may be on stalks.

As their name would suggest, sand stargazers spend most of their time buried in sandy substrates waiting for unsuspecting prey; only the eyes, nose and mouth are usually visible.

Their mode of respiration is also unique among the blennioids, using a branchiostegal rather than opercular pump; this is thought to be an adaptation to their largely sedentary, obscured lives.

Sand stargazers generally stay within shallow (< 10 m) intertidal zones in areas protected from surges.