The toadstool groper is bright orange or red in colour with an irregular pattern of small white spots covering its body and the fins.

[1] The toadstool groper is found in rocky reefs,[4] as well as in the coral sand areas of lagoons[1] at depths of 10 to 50 metres (33 to 164 ft).

[3] It frequently hides in caves and underneath overhangs and it feeds on a variety of benthic invertebrates and smaller fishes.

[5] They are nocturnal hunters and one of their favourite prey items is "crayfish", leaving their shelters at night to hunt these crustaceans.

[6] The toadstool groper was first formally described by the German born British ichthyologist Albert Günther in 1859 with the type locality given as Norfolk Island.