It has a long dorsal fin with 14–16 spines in the anterior portion and 9–12 branched rays in its posterior part.

The body is covered in large scales and is an overall green or brownish colour with darker markings on the flanks and back.

[2] The pointed-snout wrasse occurs near rocks in beds of the eelgrass Zostera[2] and Posidonia at depths of 1 to 30 meters (3.3 to 98.4 ft).

It feeds on small benthic organisms such as molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms[1] and the distinctive shape of the snout suggests that it is specialised for picking prey out of crevices.

[3] The pointed-snout wrasse is eaten if caught in local artisanal fisheries, it is often used in fish soup.