[3] The Specific name honours the Dutch ichthyologist Lieven Ferdinand de Beaufort of the University of Amsterdam, who made many notable contributions to ichthyology and who at the age of 88 wrote to Knapp encouraging him to revise the family Platycephalidae.

They have lappets at the rear of their globulous eyes, which help to break up the outline of the black iris and improve their camouflage.

The body is covered with a pattern like a mosaic of beige to brown spots or even greenish to grey separated by an interlacing of blue lines which ideally camouflages them with their habitat.

[2] De Beaufort's flathead is found shallow water in areas of sand or coral rubble, near seagrasses or mangroves.

[2] De Beaufort's flatheads are demersal ambush predators which feed mainly on smaller fish and crustaceans.