[4] It was described by Johannes Schmidt in 1916 in its larval form, originally under the genus Leptocephalus,[5] and later as a subspecies of Serrivomer sector by Roule & Bertin in 1929.

[6] It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from the eastern central and western central Atlantic Ocean, including the Strait of Gibraltar, Cape Verde, the United States, the Bahamas and Bermuda,[1] as well as the Strait of Gibraltar, Cape Verde, Canada and the United States.

[4] The species epithet "lanceolatoides" means "spear-like" in a combination of Latin and Greek, and refers to the eel's appearance.

[4] The short-tooth sawpalate's diet consists primarily of benthic crustaceans.

[8] The IUCN redlist currently lists the short-tooth sawpalate as Least Concern, due to the unlikelihood of it being endangered by any major threats as a result of its deep water habitat, and its lack of commercial interest to fisheries.