It can grow up to a length of 25 cm (9.8 in) and is distinguishable by two prominent orange to black lines running longitudinally through its body.

[2] The specific name honours the Dutch civil servant W. F. C. van Helsdingen, who provided Bleeker with a number of well-preserved fish specimens from the Gorong Archipelago in the Dutch East Indies, including the type specimen of this species.

It has two prominent orange, dark red, reddish-brown, or black lines running longitudinally on the sides of its body, darkest at the anterior end and growing lighter towards the back.

The lower line is parallel to the upper line and begins from the side of the upper lip, through the middle of the base of pectoral fins, and ends at the tip of the lower fork of the caudal fin.

They usually occur in pairs, but can be found alone in silty flat sand patches or rubble substrates.

[6] They are usually found on outer reefs at the bottom of coral or rocky dropoffs, rarely in lagoons.