The black or yellow line tend to disappear with age or it can be reduced to a short dash.

The superior part is greenish with pink accents until the base of the dorsal fin.

The zigzag wrasse is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific, from the eastern coast of Africa, Red Sea included, to the Philippines and from New Caledonia to south Japan.

[1] The zigzag wrasse appreciates mixed areas of top reef (sand/rubble/corals) in shallow water down to 20 meters depth.

[3] The zigzag wrasse can live in small group[4] but is usually solitary and even aggressive towards members of its own species.