ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə fˈɪʃ bˈeɪs ðɛɹˌɑːɹ nˈaɪn dʒˈɛnɚɹə ɪn ðɪs fˈæmɪli, bˌʌt ɐ məlˈɛkjʊlɚ stˈʌdi ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd ɪlˈɛvən ʃˈoʊd ðˈætwˌʌn ʌv ðiːz mˈɑːɹkt wɪð nˈʌmbɚ sˈaɪn hˈæʃ ɪn lˈɪst ʃˌʊd biː sˈʌbsuːmd ˌɪntʊ hˌaɪpoʊpˈaɪɡəs, ænd ɐ kˌɑːmpɹihˈɛnsɪv məlˈɛkjʊlɚ stˈʌdi fɹʌm tˈuː θˈaʊzənd fˈɪftiːn ʃˈoʊd ðæt tˈuː dʒˈɛnɚɹə mˈɑːɹkt wɪð stˈɑːɹz ˈæstɚɹˌɪsk ɪn lˈɪst tɹɐdˈɪʃənəli plˈeɪst hˈɪɹ bᵻlˈɔŋ ɪn ɹˈæmfɪtʃθˌɪɪdˌiː.
According to FishBase there are nine genera in this family, but a molecular study in 2011 showed that one of these (marked with number sign# in list) should be subsumed into Hypopygus, and a comprehensive molecular study from 2015 showed that two genera (marked with stars* in list) traditionally placed here belong in Rhamphichthyidae.