Base colour can vary and can change very rapidly by individuals, but elongated bright blue spots along the side and back, and larger round pale (usually yellowish) spots along lower side are consistent. Large teeth and bulgy eyes are also characteristic. Similar in appearance to tropical coral trouts, but belongs to a different genus and is only found in temperate waters. Not particularly common, and usually found hidden under overhangs or in caves.

• Max Size: 75 cm
• Sea Temperature Range: 14.8-22.8°C
• Depth: 1-30 m
• Habitat: Rocky Reef

• Threats: Exploitation
• IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
• Occurrence: Frequent (18% 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: Solitary (1 per transect)
  Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.