It is found on the continental shelves and insular slopes of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between latitudes 20° N and 9° N, at depths between 330 and 675 m. It can grow up to a length of 54 cm.

The boa catshark is a fairly small, slender but deep-bodied species that can grow to a length of about 54 cm (21 in).

[3] The markings consist of a number of rather indistinct rectangular grey patches and saddles which are outlined with small black spots.

[2] The boa catshark is native to the tropical western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea; it is found near the seabed on the continental shelves and insular slopes of the region between about 20°N and 9°N.

[3] As a deepwater species, the boa catshark lives below the depths at which commercial trawling takes place in the Caribbean region.