[4] It was described by Charles Alexandre Lesueur in 1825, originally under the genus Muraenophis.

[5] It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, including Bermuda, southern Florida, USA; the Bahamas, Santa Catarina, and Brazil.

[4] It dwells at a maximum depth of 15 metres (49 ft), and inhabits rocky and coral reefs.

Males can reach a maximum total length of 110 centimetres (3.6 ft).

[4] As is common with eels, it forages for food mostly during the night; its diet consists of crabs, stomatopods, and echinoderms.