The horned bannerfish is a small-sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 19 centimetres (7.5 in).

[2] The predominant colour on the body is brown to blackish broken by a thin white band behind the head and a second running from the spiny part of the dorsal fin to the caudal peduncle.

[2] The horned bannerfish is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the central Indo-Pacific from Indonesia to Polynesia and from south Japan to New-Caledonia.

[1][3] It inhabits areas rich in coral in shallow lagoons and external reef slopes from the surface to a depth of 30 meters.

[9] In some geographic areas, the horned bannerfish is occasionally harvested for the aquarium trade, however the species does not currently appear threatened is listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.