Thin yellow and blue/green stripes along body, more distinct and deeper coloured above mid line. Males with indistinct bars on upper body caused by breaks in yellow stripes; small females and juveniles with white spots on mid line instead of bars. Juveniles with an ocellus about 2/3 the way along the dorsal fin and a 2nd small ocellus on the upper tail base. Pale underside distinguishes this species from similar Halichoeres species. Endemic to eastern Australia.

• Max Size: 14 cm
• Sea Temperature Range: 18.2-31.2°C
• Depth: 3-10m
• Habitat: Coral Reef

• IUCN Threat Status: Least Concern
• Occurrence: Frequent (12% 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 (6 per transect)
  Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.