The combtooth dogfish has no anal fin, grooved dorsal spines, two dorsal fins of about same size, a pointed nose, large eyes, small gill slits, a short abdomen, a short caudal peduncle, and is blackish-brown in color with white-tipped fins.

Like all dogfish sharks, it has 2 spines in front of its 2 dorsal fins.

It has a faint tiger-like band held together by the lateral line that has photophores that emit light to attract prey.

It consists of eating small fish, shrimp, and cephalopods.

It is an uncommon deepwater shark found close to the bottom between 400 and 1,145m.