Circumglobal, with patchy records in tropical and warm seas. Western Atlantic: Florida, USA to Venezuela. Eastern Atlantic: Senegal to Ghana, including the Mediterranean. Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea, Mozambique, South Africa, Madagascar, and India. Western Pacific: China, Taiwan, and Australia. Central Pacific: Hawaii. Eastern Pacific: Gulf of California and southern Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador.

A heavily-bodied, cylindrical shark with a large, long and broad snout, long nasal flaps and high, triangular, saw-edged upper teeth; interdorsal ridge high and prominent; pectoral and dorsal fins large and straight.

Found near the edge of the continental and insular shelves and uppermost slopes. Rare in shallow waters, bottom associated near shelf breaks and drop-offs; young may occur at 25 m.