[3] It was described by Charles Henry Gilbert in 1891.

[4] It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from the eastern central Pacific Ocean, including Point Conception, California; Panama, Guadalupe, and the Galapagos Islands.

The fish is known to dwell at an approximate depth of 734 meters.

Males can reach a maximum total length of 90 centimetres.

[2] The dogface witch eel's diet consists primarily of small deep-water crustaceans.