Triacanthus nieuhofii was first formally described in 1852 by the Dutch physician, herpetologist and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker with its type locality given as Siboga, west of Sumatra.

[3] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the Triacanthoidei as suborder of the order Tetraodontiformes.

The specific name, honours Johan Nieuhof, the Dutch explorer and sinologist who first described and illustrated this species, calling it Hoornvisch.

It is pale silvery brown on the upper body, fading to silvery white on the lower body, there are a number of irreguklarly shaped dark yellow blotches on the flank and a large blackish blitch between the first two spines if the dorsal fin which pales slightly between the second and thirs spines.

[6] The silver tripodfish is found on sand or mud flats along coasts and in estuaries where it feeds on benthic invertebrates.