 It is grouped with the velvet belly lantern shark ("E. spinax"), Caribbean lanternshark ("E. hillianus"), fringefin lanternshark ("E. schultzi"), broadbanded lanternshark ("E. gracilispinis"), combtooth lanternshark ("E. decacuspidatus"), and dwarf lanternshark ("E. perryi") in having irregularly arranged, needle-shaped dermal denticles.