This species is found in both fresh and brackish waters in rivers, swamps and tidal creeks in southern New Guinea.

Datnioides campbelli was first formally described in 1939 by the Australian ichthyologist Gilbert Percy Whitley with its type locality given as the Fly River in Papua New Guinea.

[4] Datnioides campbelli has a specific name that honours the RAAF officer Flight Lieutenant Stuart Campbell who collected the type.

[6] The underlying colour is golden yellow marked with 5 or 6 broad, vertical dark bars with indistinct edges along the body.

Fishes in the genus Datnoides are popular in the aquarium trade[1] but this species is rare and expensive.