It is found in the Indo-West Pacific, from the Maldives via India, Sri Lanka and the Andaman Sea to the westernmost portion of the Indonesian archipelago.

[2] The Indian vagabond butterflyfish has a silvery-white body marked with diagonal grey lines and with a broad black vertical band running through the eyes.

[3] Growing to a maximum of 20 cm (nearly 8 in) long, it is found on rich coral reefs and also on rubble and rocky areas.

The monogamous adults swim in pairs and may be territorial and aggressive to other Chaetodon; juveniles are solitary.

[2] The Indian vagabond butterflyfish was first formally described in 1829 by the French anatomist Georges Cuvier (1769–1832), the type locality was given as "India".