Heniochus chrysostomus is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the central Indo-Pacific from the western coast of India to Polynesia and from south Japan to New-Caledonia.

[2] The body is laterally strongly flattened, with a basic white color and three broad oblique brown bands.

This bannerfish has a distinctive yellow coloration pattern on the mouth, top of the snout and running between its eyes.

Juveniles have an ocellus which is a black spot rimmed with orange-yellow, on the bottom of its anal fin.

[2] Heniochus chrysostomus is subject to some fishing activities to collect some specimen for aquarium, there do not appear to be any current threats to this species.