There are four commercially available varieties of the kingklip; red, golden, black, and south. All four varieties are similarly shaped, and on the outside differ mainly in the color of their skin. Unlike most eels which are round in cross-section, however, the Kingklip is moderately compressed. This soft-bodied fish is rather slimy to the touch.

Origin
Kingklip inhabit a depth range of 20 to 800 meters, being mainly found in waters between 300 m to 500 m off the coast. They are found in Chili, the southwest Pacific waters of New Zealand and temperate Australia. They inhabit a variety of substrates from rocky ground to soft sand and mud, in which they burrow. It is available year round.