Purple to red head and back, yellow to whitish lower half, 4-5 white spots on the back, large black spots on the ventral and anal fins. Juveniles have a maroon undercolor with indistinct stripes formed numerous white spots and blotches, they also have the black spots on the ventral and anal fins.

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Indian Ocean: East Africa (but not the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, or Somalia), east to the Nicobar Islands and Cocos-Keeling Islands.
Replaced by Bodianus dictynna in the tropical Western Pacific and the the longer snouted Bodianus prognathus in the Line Islands.
Adults are found in coral rich areas of seaward reefs in a range of 6-25 meters. Reported to be associated with the mushroomcoral Heliofungia actiniformis. Juveniles tend to stay close to black coral or gorgonian fans.

Oviparous. They show distinct pairing during breeding.