Pacific Ocean: Christmas Island and northwestern Australia in the eastern Indian Ocean to the Line and Tuamoto islands.

This fish is dark brown, nearly black, with caudal peduncle and caudal fin abruptly white. Its caudal fin lobes end in two filaments. A black spot is at the base of the pectoral fin. Dorsal fin spine tips blue.

Usually seen singly or in small groups on coastal reefs, amongst mixed algae-coral reef or rocky reefs.