[2] It was described by Tokiharu Abe, M. Miki and Minoru Asai in 1977.

[3] It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from the northwestern and southwestern Pacific Ocean, including Japan (from which its species epithet is derived) and New Zealand.

It is non-migratory, and inhabits sand flats near reefs.

Males can reach a maximum total length of 100 centimetres (39 in); the diameter of the body is approximately 10 millimetres.

The Pacific spaghetti eel's diet consists of zooplankton.