[5] It was described by Charles Henry Gilbert in 1891, originally under the genus Ophisoma.

[6] It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from the southeastern and eastern central Pacific Ocean, including Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.

[5][3] Males can reach a maximum total length of 35 centimetres (1 ft 2 in).

[5] Due to its widespread distribution, lack of known threats, and lack of observed population declines, the IUCN redlist currently lists the slope conger as Least Concern.

There is some dispute as to whether Ariosoma or Ophisoma is the valid genus for the species.