The swallowtail hawkfish was first formally described in 1874 as Cirrhitichthys polyactis by the Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker with the type locality given as Ambon Island.

[5] The swallowtail hawkfish differs from all the other members of the family Cirrhitidae in two features, the lunate caudal fin with both the upper and lower lobes elongated and the high dorsal fin soft ray count.

[2] The overall colour of this fish is orange to brownish-orange, frequently with orange-red to brownish blotches.

[1] It inhabits steep slopes and small coral heads exposed to the current.

[2] The swallowtail hawkfish, unlike other hawkfishes which are mostly benthic, this species stays in the water column several metres above the substrate[7] It preys largely on pelagic crustaceans, copepods and other zooplankton.