It is a rare species found on coral reefs in the Indo-West Pacific region.

The reticulate unicornfish was first formally described in 2001 by the American ichthyologist John Ernest Randall with its type locality given as the "Southern end at Nanwan, middle of bay directly east of fishing boat harbor at Houpihu, Taiwan, depth 15 meters".

The head has a slightly convex profile with a small bump in front of the eyes.

The upper 60% of the body is marked with a pattern of small black spots and a network of dark lines.

It is an uncommon species of coral reefs frequently found near drop offs.