Occurs on many of the same sheltered southwestern reefs as McCulloch’s scalyfin, but is a less abundant species. Adults of the two species are difficult to distinguish because they have a similar colour pattern; however, the head of the western scalyfin has a much steeper profile and the mouth projects more. The juveniles are readily distinguished because of vertical white bars on the western scalyfin.

• Max Size: 13 cm
• Sea Temperature Range: 17.1-24.0°C
• Depth: 1–10 m
• Habitat: Rocky Reef

• IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
• Occurrence: Widespread (68% 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: Few (3 per transect)
  Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.