This species is distinguished by the following characters: a short, blunt snout and an anal fin separate from the ventral caudal margin by a notch; medium-bodied with a gently rounded snout; large eye; oral and preopercular lateral line canals usually share a short common branch off of the infraorbital canal; relatively short first dorsal fin and spine; second dorsal fin even along height, long caudal dorsal and ventral margins, short, trifurcate pelvic claspers, divided distally for approximately one-third of their length; body colour uniform pale-brown, mouth and ventral snout darker with brownish-purple fins and highly deciduous skin. Distinguished from its closest congeners, Chimaera fulva, C. macrospina, and C. obscura, by a combination of morphological characters (longer caudal dorsal margin, shorter pelvic claspers, shorter dorsal fin spine, shorter first dorsal fin, and longer caudal ventral margin) and coloration (Ref. 107024).