The rear half of the body is marked with three horizontal black lines, breaking up into spots anteriorly.

[2] Body size, colour and shape vary across its range: fish from the Aru Islands are larger, those from the vicinity of Darwin have orange pectoral fins, while fish from Goanna Lagoon in Arnhem Land have an orange body.

[3] The spotted blue-eye is found in rivers in southern New Guinea, the Aru Islands, and the Northern Territory and Cape York Peninsula (Queensland) in Australia.

Their habitat includes small slow-moving streams, often less than 60 cm (2 ft) deep, pools, and Melaleuca or Pandanus swamps.

That means during breeding season, especially the males they display bright colors and have specific fin positions that help attract females, yet detailed studies on their reproductive behavior is still limited.