Marine; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 25 m . Tropical; 24°N - 27°S, 94°E - 172°E

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 28.0 cm TL male/unsexed; ; common length : 15.0 cm SL male/unsexed;

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7. Head scales reaching to or almost to posterior nostrils. Lower limb of preopercle scaly. Antrorse (forward-directed) suborbital spine absent. Pelvic fins long, reaching almost to or beyond level of origin of anal fin. Color: Upper body olive, white below. 2 pearly white stripes on snout in front of eyes. Lower lobe of caudal fin reddish. Juveniles white, with a narrow black stripe along back (only on some specimens) and black midlateral stripe. Some with a yellowish ventral surface. Presence of a black spot between first four dorsal spines. Some color variation between Indian and Pacific populations: juveniles lack yellow stripe in the Indian Ocean population and adults show a contrasting dark back compared to Pacific form . Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal;  Cross section: oval.