Different shyshark species are very similar to one another in appearance but can be reliably differentiated using morphological measurements. However, in the field the only way to readily tell them apart is by their different color patterns, and even this may be problematic as individuals of the same species can vary considerably in coloration. All four species are small, seldom exceeding in length. A shyshark has a stout, spindle-shaped body and a short head comprising less than one-fifth of the total length. The head is broad and dorsally flattened, with a rounded snout. The large, oval eyes have cat-like slit pupils, a rudimentary nictitating membrane (protective third eyelid), and a prominent ridge running underneath. A distinguishing trait of this genus are the large nostrils partially covered by greatly expanded, triangular flaps of skin that overlap the mouth and cover a pair of deep grooves between the nasal excurrent (outflow) openings and the mouth. The mouth is short and curved, with furrows at the corners extending onto both jaws. The teeth have a central cusp and smaller lateral cusplets. The five pairs of gill slits are located on the upper side of the body. The two dorsal fins are set far back on the body, the first originating behind the pelvic fin midbases and the second originating behind the anal fin midbase. The pectoral fins are moderately large; the dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins are of similar size. The broad caudal fin comprises a fifth of the total length; the upper lobe has a deep ventral notch near the tip and the lower lobe is virtually absent. The skin is thick and covered by well-calcified, leaf-shaped dermal denticles. The coloration is brown above and white below; the brown shyshark is usually plain while the other species have varying patterns of darker "saddles" and white spots. Shysharks feed on a variety of small benthic bony fishes and invertebrates. In turn, they are preyed upon by larger fishes and marine mammals. When threatened, these sharks adopt a curious posture in which they curl their bodies into a ring and cover their eyes with their tails, which is the origin of the name "shyshark". This behavior likely serves to make the shark more difficult for a predator to swallow. Shysharks are oviparous with females producing egg capsules (known as "mermaid's purses") two at a time.