The sergeant major is a fish with an elongated, flattened body and a scissor-shaped caudal fin. The dorsal and anal fins have similar shapes. The sergeant major has a protrusible mouth equipped with sharp teeth. Its coloration ranges from white on the ventral side to bright yellow on the dorsal side, with wide dark vertical bands.

The sergeant major is a small fish that typically measures around six inches in length.

The sergeant major is found in the shallow waters of lagoons and coral reefs where it takes refuge among the corals.

The sergeant major is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The sergeant major appears in the IUCN Red List since 2015 within the category Least Concern !