Ophiopyrgus Lyman, 1878a ( type species: O. wyvillethomsoni Lyman, 1878a).
Amphiophiura Matsumoto, 1915, Aspidophiura Matsumoto, 1915, Dictenophiura H.L. Clark, 1923, Euvondrea Fell, 1961a, Glaciacantha Fell, 1961b, Gymnophiura Lütken & Mortensen, 1899, Ophiogona Studer, 1876, Ophiomages Koehler, 1923, Ophioperla Koehler, 1912, Ophiopleura Danielssen & Koren, 1877, Ophioplinthus Lyman, 1878a, Ophiosparte Koehler, 1922b, Ophiosteira Bell, 1902, Ophiuroglypha Hertz, 1927, Spinophiura Stöhr & Segonzac, 2006, Stegophiura Matsumoto, 1915.
High disc with few to many scales, primary plates obvious (but Ophiosparte with thickened skin covering the disc scales and plates; Ophiopleura with scales embedded in thickened skin). Arm combs present but often not as well expressed as in Ophiuridae. Lateral arm plates generally with ventro-distalwardspointing tentacle notch, often with within-plate tentacle perforation in median to distal arm portions. Distal arm spines often hooked. Arm spine articulation oval to slit-shaped with lower lip, nerve opening at a distance, in paedomorphic taxa such as Ophiopyrgus weakly expressed as slightly larger pore in the stereom of the lateral arm plate.
Ophiopyrgus is a paedomorphic species with reduced morphology. It is therefore not ideal as typical genus for the characterization of a family but the name Ophiopyrgidae has priority. The expression of typical characters varies greatly among the included genera, many specializations occur.