This shark is coloured whitish to light grey.

[3] The area of occupancy of this small benthic endemic shark was presumed very limited (less than 2,000 km²), being restricted to a narrow depth band on insular and seamount slopes near New Caledonia.

[2] However this species has been collected in waters of the north of New Zealand on the West Norfolk Ridge.

[2] Although this species has been classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as of least concern, there is a worry that this species may be taken as un-utilised bycatch by deepwater trawl fisheries and that, like other deepwater species, it may not be sufficiently fecund to withstand exploitation pressure in these fisheries.

[1] The New Zealand Department of Conservation has classified the white-bodied catshark as "Data deficient" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.