The type specimen was collected in a bottom trawl 457 meters deep in Seguam Pass in the Aleutian Islands.

Since seawater absorbs longer wavelengths of light, this color makes them harder to see for predators.

[3] This species is distinguished from similar North Pacific snailfishes by its more slender body which is covered in small bumps topped with tiny prickles, and anterior dorsal-fin rays that stick out of the fin's membrane.

One was found in the stomach of darkfin sculpin, Malacocottus zonurus, reinforcing the suggestion of its pink body color that C. spiraki is a prey species for larger fish.

Among the nineteen C. spiraki collected were reproductively mature females from 39 to 52 mm long which were ripe with yolked eggs.