[1] It was described by Jørgen G. Nielsen and David G. Smith in 1978.

[2] It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from the eastern Pacific Ocean, including Oregon and Hawaii, USA, Mexico, and the Gulf of California.

It dwells at a depth range of 0 to 1,000 metres (0 to 3,281 ft).

Males can reach a maximum total length of 161 centimetres (63 in).

[1] The species epithet "larseni" was given in honour of Verner Larsen, credited with starting the study of the species at the University of Copenhagen.