The Gempylidae are a family of perciform fishes, commonly known as snake mackerels or escolars. The family includes about 25 species. They are elongated fishes with a similar appearance to barracudas, having a long dorsal fin, usually with one or finlets trailing it. The largest species, including the snoek, Thyrsites atun, grow up to 2 m long. Like the barracudas, they are predators, with fang-like teeth. They are deep-water benthopelagic fishes, and several species are important commercial and game fishes.