The triglid fishes, commonly known as gurnards or searobins, are found in tropical and temperate waters of the world’s oceans. This preliminary classification recognizes 8 genera and ~125 species, of which ~15 species are undescribed. This classification is based on 11 morphological characters, most of which are osteological. The tribes and genera are as follows. Prionotini ( Prionotus and Bellator ) is the most primitive: 26 vertebrae, lateral line ending at caudal base and not bifurcate on caudal fin, basihyal present, and no expansion of distal part of the proximal pterygiophores. Pterygotriglini ( Bovitrigla , Pterygotrigla , and Uradia ): 27 vertebrae, lateral line ending at caudal base and not bifurcate on caudal fin, basihyal absent, and no expansion of distal end of the proximal pterygiophores or expansion of only those next to the first dorsal fin. Triglini ( Trigla , Chelidonichthys and Lepidotrigla ): all the distal ends of the proximal pterygiophores expanded and exposed along the first and second dorsal fin bases, basihyal absent, lateral line bifurcate on caudal fin, and 29–35 vertebrae. Examples of the characters are discussed in relation to the difficulties in assigning character states in light of reversals and multiple reversals.