White with wide orange bar across the rear body including dorsal and anal fins. Pair of closely spaced brown bars behind the head and a ocellated spot only on the soft dorsal fin.

Least concern according to the IUCN Red list. This is of the most common coralfishes and there seem to be no threats to its population.

Indo-Pacific: scattered colonies along the coast of Queensland, the Frankland Group off north Queensland, Western Australia, and New Guinea; Indonesia and the Philippines, and very seldom along the Chinese coast. Recently reported from Tonga. Found in coastal to outer reef drop-offs with rich invertebrate growth to 60 m depth; may also occur in areas with sparse coral growth, in a depth range of 3-60 meters.

Oviparous. Form pairs during breeding