Sparidae was first proposed as a family in 1818 by the French polymath and naturalist Constantine Samuel Rafinesque.

[1] Traditionally the taxa within the Spariformes were classified within the Perciformes, with some authorities using the term "Sparoid lineage" for the families Centracanthidae, Nemipteridae, Lethrinidae and Sparidae.

[3] Since then the use of molecular phylogenetics in more modern classifications has meant that the Spariformes is recognised as a valid order within the Percomorpha containing six families, with Callanthidae, Sillaginidae and Lobotidae included.

[2] Other workers have found that the Centracanthidae is synonymous with Sparidae and that the Spariformes contains only the remaining three families of the "Sparoid lineage".

The upper jaw never extends back past a vertical line through the centre of the eye.

The scales are typically smooth, cycloid, or slightly rough to the touch, weakly ctenoid, The lateral line is single and continuous and reached the base of the caudal fin.

[12] The two largest species of Sparid are the white steenbras (Lithognathus lithognathus) and the red steenbras (Petrus rupestris), both of which have a maximum published total length of 200 cm (79 in), while the smallest species is the cherry seabream (Polysteganus cerasinus).

[14] Sparids are highly regarded as food fish and are important target species for commercial fisheries wherever they occur.