The male shows a similar patterning, although most of the markings are darker than the females and there no black spot near the front of the dorsal fin and no oblique bands in spiny part of it.

Females are mainly pink or lavender-pink, in life, with narrow pale green bands and a bright red stripe on nape, this extends to the rear part of the dorsal fin.

[1] Halichoeres zulu occurs solitarily at depths from 0 to 2 m (0.0 to 6.6 ft) along rocky shores, where there are patches of sand and coral.

The shallow-water habitat off rocky shores in which this species is found are exposed to the wind and the waves, making it difficult to obtain specimens and this combined with its similarity to H. nebulosus, its rarity and elusive nature meant that it was previously overlooked.

[1] Halichoeres zulu was described in 2010 by John Ernest Randall & Dennis R. King with the type locality given as Umhlanga Rocks in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.