This scyliorhinid catshark is distinguished by the following set of characters: a soft body with velvety skin, with small, tricuspidate denticles; whitish claspers, contrasting with the brownish body coloration; presence of caudal crests but denticles are not enlarged, the crests reaching almost to second dorsal and anal-fin insertions; teeth tri- or quadricuspidate, in the upper jaw about 130 rows; first dorsal fin slightly in front middle of back, pre-first dorsal length 46.2% TL, origin slightly in front of pelvic-fin origin; pelvic-fin origin slightly in front of midbody, pre-pelvic length 47.1% TL; vent slightly behind mid-body, pre-vent length 52.0% TL; short snout, prenarial length 4.3% TL; short mouth, its length 3.1% TL; very short labial furrows, confined to mouth corners; head is shorter than abdomen, head length 19.8% TL, pectoral-pelvic length 24.2% TL; dorsal fins are large, subequal in size, anterior margins about 11.3% TL, with the first dorsal more erect than second; w