Alternating red and white bands along the body, the first two whites passing either side of the eye and fading below second dorsal fin, the third passing across pectoral fin base and extending to tail base. Dark brown to yellow interspaces between stripes and pinkish grey elsewhere on body. Distinctive black spot at the rear of the body behind the dorsal fin. Although a tropical species, schools of juveniles are often seen by divers on sand beside reefs in sheltered bays near Sydney and Perth.  

• Max Size: 36 cm
• Sea Temperature Range: 15.3-25.6°C
• Depth: 1-80m
• Habitat: Coral Reef, Rocky Reef, Seagrass, Soft sediment
• Habitat Generalisation Index: 33.7
  Also referred to as the SGI (Species generalisation index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here

• IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
• Occurrence: Common (24% of sites)
  Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
• Abundance: Several (8 per transect)
  Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.