It is found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean Genicanthus takeuchii, like the other angelfishes in the genus Genicanthus, shows sexual dichromatism, the males and females show differences in colour and pattern.

Females have an overall colour of greyish white with a dense pattern of black spots on the upper body and caudal fin.

[3] Genicanthus takeuchii is a little known species of deep coral reefs at depths between 25 and 60 metres (82 and 197 ft).

[1] Genicanthus takeuchii was first formally described in 1997 as Holocanthus semifasciatus by the American ichthyologist Richard L. Pyle with the type locality given as Ani-jima, Mansakunohama in the Ogasawara Islands of Japan.

[5] The specific name honours the discoverer of this species, the Japanese diver Hiroshi Takeuchi.