[3] The doublewhip threadfin bream was first formally described as Dentex nematophorus in 1854 by the Dutch physician, herpetologist and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker with its type locality given as Padang on Sumatra.

Valenciennes name was subjectively invalid as Eduard Rüppell had described Cantharus filamentosus in 1828, which is now regarded as a synonym of N. japonicus, so in 1859 Albert Günther coined the replacement name Synagris macronemus but this was later shown to be a synonym of Bleeker's 1854 Dentex filamentosus.

[2][4] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Nemipterus within the family Nemipteridae which it places in the order Spariformes.

[7] The dorsal fin is supported by 10 spines, the first two being set very close together, nearly fused, and creating a long trailing filament, and 9 soft rays.

Its range extends from the eastern coast of India as far south as Chennai and the Andaman Sea east to Taiwan and the Philippines.