This squat lobster is an orange-red colour with white-tipped legs and chelae, pinkish lateral carapace spines and a paler ventral surface.

It lives in deep water, often in association with cold seeps and with the coldwater coral Lophelia pertusa.

[3] A predator and omnivore, E. picta perches on a coral or stone waiting for small fish or other prey to come within range.

[7] In one study, while observing the seabed with a remotely operated underwater vehicle, researchers found this squat lobster in association with the coral at a wreck site in the Gulf of Mexico at a depth of about 550 m (1,804 ft).

The decapod may stay in proximity to the coral because its fronds are an ideal feeding location, provide a refuge from predators, or offer some other benefit.