This species is distinguished from its congeners, except Eptatretus poicilus by the following characters: gill apertures 8 pairs (7 in one specimen), well-spaced and arranged in a near straight line; a 3/3 multicusp pattern of teeth; differs from Eptatretus poicilus by its number of trunk pores 38-43 (vs. 45-50), by the number of total pores 69-75 (vs. 78-86) and by its colour pattern, with body purple to purplish brown (vs. body strongly mottled with pale brown, dark brown and white-beige) (Ref. 123790).

Description: Eight gill pouches and apertures each side, last gill aperture confluent with the pharyngocutaneous duct on the left side; 12 multicusps (3 fused cusps in each row), unicusps 36-39 (9,9 to 10,10 unicusps in each anterior and 9,9 to 9,10 in each posterior row), total cusps 48-51; prebranchial 14-15, branchial 7, tail 10-12. Ventral finfold absent or vestigial; caudal finfold with white margin; head slightly lighter than body color, face dark except for small white area around mouth; barbels all white (Ref. 31788).