Widespread in the Western Atlantic from North Carolina, United States, and northern Gulf of Mexico to southeastern Brazil.

[1] This species was first seen in the Key West area near Florida, USA in 1874 and described by Frederic Ward Putnam.

Unlike true eels, they have forked ventral fins: organs attached to the pectoral muscles just below the mouth.

[4] Study of the lateral line system in cusk eels has indicated that the paired muscles in the swim bladder added with specialized organs in the head enable the fishes to have enhanced hearing and perception of depth and vibration.

[5] Though the color of each sex varies little, in the development of anatomy in band cusk eels there is a noticeable difference.

However, in males there is a free floating bone that curves along a modification of the third through sixth vertebrae and attaches to the swim bladder.

[6] Cask eels tend to live in the bottom of shallow areas of water and take shelter in anything from caves to other invertebrates.

This burrowing has been caught on video in multiple species and occurs tail first, the fish backing up and down into soft sand or mud until covered.