The threeband cardinal is a very small fish. It has a semi-transparent, pink tinted body with two stripes on each side, one from eye to anal fin and one from forehead to tail, and a stripe along their dorsal surface. These stripes are not present in all specimens, however, and can appear is various combinations, or be absent entirely.
The threeband cardinal is solitary and cryptic, spending most of its time well hidden in rocky reefs. It pairs up only for reproduction, and pairs will protect each other while mouthbrooding eggs.
This cardinal is carnivorous and will prey on smaller fish and zooplankton, hunting in the evening.
They have a wide range, found along the East African coast between KwaZulu-Natal and the Red Sea, but also ranging into the Pacific where it is found on the coasts of Australia and Japan.