The lemon-striped pygmy hogfish is a small slender wrasse whisch has obvious, wide, horizontal red stripes which run from the head along the body in large adults; one strip runs along the back and inner part of the dorsal fin, another from the nose along the flanks ends in a spot on the upper caudal fin peduncle, while a third stripe runs along the lower side and lower part of the anal fin onto the caudal fin.