Telephinidae is a family of pelagic trilobites with large wide-angle eyes, occupying most of the free cheeks, downward directed facial spines and 9-10 thorax segments.

Carolinites survived into the Darriwilian, at which time a second major radiation occurred, that includes Telephina and Telephops, and these genera only became extinct at the end of the Ordovician.

The frontal border of the headshield is arched, with a circular cross section, or modified to form a pair of short spines.

The free cheeks curve strongly downwards and have prominent borders, particularly to the side and the back, and these bear long tube- or blade-like genal spines.

Comparison of the angles and densities of the facets shows that the eyes of the Telephinidae were less adapted to low-light levels and therefore cyclopygids are considered to have been confined to deeper water, swimming at the lower limit of the photic zone (or mesopelagic).