It is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans from Sri Lanka and the Cocos-Keeling Islands to the Hawaiian, Marquesan and Tuamotu islands, north to southern Japan, south to Rowley Shoals and New South Wales in Australia.

The overall color is yellowish grey, with a large black spot bordered below by a broad white band on the back and wavy blue lines on the lower sides.

Adults have a filament extending posteriorly from the upper part of the soft portion of the dorsal fin.

It feeds on filamentous algae, small invertebrates, coral polyps, and fish eggs.

In this group, it appears to represent a distinct lineage, with the dotted butterflyfish (C. semeion) perhaps the only somewhat closely related species.