This species is characterized by the following: males with 118-122 vertebrae, females 122-130; lateral line pores posterior to gill opening in males 95-104, females 101-108; body depth 40-70 in TL; tail 3.0-3.4 in TL; head 12.5-17 in TL; eyes over posterior part of gape, in immature individuals are minute, in adults about 2 in snout length; at front of snout, anterior nostrils in a short tube; before upper part of eye, posterior nostrils a large aperture; teeth on jaws and vomer are conical and uniserial, the intermaxilla with 7 moderately large recurved teeth; dorsal fin origin about 2/3 HL posterior to anus; in immature eels, the pectoral fins are not detectable, in mature males about as long as gape; color in life of immatures pink to purplish pink anteriorly, pale yellow posteriorly, mature adults distinctly bicolored, dark gray above, white below, caudal fin partly blackish (Ref. 86689).