They live under rocks on the bottoms of fast-flowing streams and rivers. The morphological characters given below are the ones standardly used to diagnose the salamander family Cryptobranchidae and to assess its phylogenetic relationships to other salamanders. The individual characteristics are in most cases shared with other salamanders and should not be interpreted as synapomorphies of the Cryptobranchidae. Metamorphosis is incomplete in the Cryptobranchidae, leading to a number of paedomorphic characteristics in adults. Morphology of the skull Premaxilla consists of separated, paired bones.
Maxillary bones are present and well developed.
Septomaxillary bones are absent. Lacrimal bone is absent. Quadratojugal bone is absent. Pterygoid bones are present. Internal carotid foramina are absent from parasphenoid bones.