Chaetodon aureofasciatus has a whitish body which is cross-hatched with darker lines,[2] creating a purple hue.

[5] It has been observed that this species has seemingly developed a wide diet than other corallivorous butterflyfishes, possibly in response to coral declines and that this may also account for their move into brackish water.

[6] Chaetodon aureofasciatus was first formally described in 1878 by the Scottish-Australian politician, naturalist, zoologist, and herpetologist William John Macleay (1820–1891) with the type locality given as Darwin, Northern Territory.

They appear to be close relatives of the subgenus Tetrachaetodon which includes for example the mirror butterflyfish (C. speculum) and together with these would probably go in the proposed genus Megaprotodon if Chaetodon is split up.

[5] Chaetodon aureofasciatus is occasionally collected for the aquarium trade but it is regarded as difficult to maintain in captivity.