Red/orange to rusty brown head and forebody, alternating black and white bars on the rear body and tail. It lives solitary.

Least concern on the IUCN Red list. The species is in some places caught for food  and aquarium trade, but that doesn’t seem to have a significant effect on the global population.

Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to Micronesia and Samoa, north to the Ryukyu Islands. Adults inhabit lagoon and seaward reefs, usually in areas with mixed coral, sand, and rubble. Young common on silty reefs, usually along edges with algae-rubble and sand. They live in a depth range of 4-60 meters.

Oviparous breeding, distinctive pairing during breeding.