One of the smallest living shark species, the pygmy ribbontail catshark grows to a maximum known length of 24 cm (9.4 in).

[2] The type specimen is a 23 cm (9.1 in) long adult female caught off Jolo Island in the Sulu Archipelago, Philippines.

This bottom-dwelling shark occurs at depths of 71–766 m (233–2,513 ft) on outer continental and insular shelves or upper slopes, commonly over mud.

[3] The pygmy ribbontail catshark has a thin body with a short, rounded snout and elongated, oval eyes bearing rudimentary nictitating membranes.

The mouth is wide and V-shaped, without furrows at the corners and containing numerous rows of small, multi-pointed teeth that become more comb-like towards the sides.

[3] One study in Indian waters found that 55% of this shark's diet was composed of bony fishes (mainly lanternfishes but also bristlemouths and small eels), 28% of crustaceans (mainly shrimp but also stomatopods and crab larvae), 14% of squid, and the remainder of other items including a bivalve.