Characterised by three dark blotches on the rear of the body - at the base of the rear dorsal fin, the base of the anal fin and on the tail base. Distinguished from very similar S. rubrum primarily by the dark blotch on the tail base, which is more of a streak in S. rubrum. Also typically has narrower white stripes along the body, although this can vary. Remains hidden deep inside caves during the day.

• Max Size: 27 cm
• Sea Temperature Range: 16.8-31.3°C
• Depth: 6-40 m
• Habitat: Coral Reef, Rocky Reef
• Habitat Generalisation Index: 0.8
  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: Infrequent (2% 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 (4 per transect)
  Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.