This fish is endemic to the southwestern Indian Ocean off the coast of South Africa.

[4] The genus Chrysoblephus is placed in the family Sparidae within the order Spariformes by the 5th edition of Fishes of the World.

[7] Chrysoblephus gibbiceps has a deep and compressed body, its standard length is between 2 and 2.4 times its depth.

It has a reddish orange body with golden flecks, slightly lighter in colour ventrally, with between 5 and 7 indistinct vertical red bars and a lot of irregularly shaped dark spots on the upper body.

[9] It is a predator on benthic organisms and it has been recorded feeding on crustaceans, molluscs and small fishes, [8] although its main prey are brittle stars.

Bag and size limits have been imposed,[1] but the stock has been described as having collapsed due to overfishing.