The widely-distributed shortspine spurdog (Squalus mitsukurii) was found to comprise a number of distinct species; populations from southern Australian waters were described as Squalus chloroculus in 2007, the holotype collected off Portland, Victoria in 1998.

The species name is derived from the Ancient Greek chloros "green" and Latin oculus "eye".

[4] The greeneye spurdog is a robust dogfish with a fusiform body shape, bright green eyes, and overall grey colour.

[4] The species lives in waters off southern and eastern Australia from Eucla in Western Australia to Jervis Bay in New South Wales,[5] on the upper and middle continental slope from depths of 216 to 1,360 metres (709 to 4,462 ft).

[6] The species is caught up in demersal trawling and automatic longline fishing on the upper continental slope by the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark fishery and the Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery.