The middle of the flanks are marked with thin, vertical dark grey lines that break up into small spots on the lower body.

The protuberance is marked with diagonal black lines, the membrane of the operculum is white, the lips have pale blue edges and the caudal fin is largely whitish.

[1] In Australia the distribution goes from Ningaloo Reef around the northern tropical coasts to the northern Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea as far south as Moreton Bay in Queensland, as well as in the region of Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea.

The eggs hatch into pelagic larvae which may remain in the water column for up to 90 days and the adults attain sexual maturity at around 25 cm (9.8 in).

[7] The switch from grazing to preying on gelatinous zooplankton coincides with the development of the bony protuberance.

This species has a wide range and populations appear to be stable so the IUCN classify it as Least Concern.