Fine blue and white lines with an orange flank patch, holding a grazing territory in the surge on the Red Sea reef crest.
To about 40 cm, deep-bodied, marked with fine horizontal blue and white lines over a dark ground, with a bright orange patch on the flank and blue margins to the dorsal and anal fins. The blade at the tail base is set in an orange socket and is clearly visible. Another Red Sea endemic, and one of the most striking fish in the sea.
It is strongly territorial and it defends a grazing patch on the shallow reef crest, in the surge, against fish much larger than itself and against divers. A sohal that turns side-on and holds position in front of you is displaying, and the blade is a real cutting edge. It is not a hazard so much as a fish that will not be pushed. It is best photographed in the shallows on a calm day, where the light and the surge are both in its favour and not in yours.
Ratings are per location: 1 means found on most dives that look for it, 5 means a handful of records. Where enough dives have been logged the figure is calculated from them; otherwise it is an editorial estimate, and says so. We publish habitat and destination, not the dive site.