Males can reach a maximum total length of 78-80 centimetres (31 inches), making it the largest sawtooth eel.

[4] The species epithet "beanii" was given in honour of American ichthyologist Tarleton Hoffman Bean.

The Bean's sawtooth eel feeds primarily on benthic crustaceans including shrimps, and finfish, probably also small oreos and lanternfish.

It has a pale, metallic blue-ish skin, delicate and without scales, which becomes translucid and gelatinous when the fish is brought to the surface.

During the night, it migrates vertically to feed on its prey, shrimp, lanternfishes, smaller eels, squid, and flashlight fishes.