Front nostril a short tube with a long 2-lobed flap at rear end; rear nostril above front of eye, large, oval and cup-like, with a raised rim; jaws long, arched so do not shut completely; extremely long canine teeth at front of jaws, and inner row on side of upper jaw; dorsal and anal fins developed as skin-covered ridges, but clearly evident; dorsal origin before gill opening; skin with narrow irregular ridges.
Dark brownish grey with vertical thin blackish lines in grooves on skin; each pore along side of jaws in a small pale to whitish spot.
Size: reported to 250 cm.
Habitat: rocky bottoms.
Depth: 2-20 m.
Widespread in the tropical Indo-Pacific; in the eastern Pacific it is known from Clipperton Island and the Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama.
