[1][3][2] Apolemichthys xanthotis has a largely white coloured body with a black head, a yellow tail.

[4] The black on the head is more extensive than in the closely related Apolemichthys xanthotis extending across the Gill cover and over the first few scale rows on the body.

It is also found off Socotra and a transient population was discovered off Kenya following the El Nino of 1998.

[1] Apolemichthys xanthotis lives at depths between 10 and 80 metres (33 and 262 ft) in areas that are rich in coral, as well as on rocky reefs.

[1] It is typically encountered in pairs or small groups and probably feeds on algae and benthic invertebrates, especially sponges.