The Pennant Bannerfish can be recognised by its colouration. It is white with a black band crossing the head and extending through the ventral fins. Two brown bands cross the body. The snout is yellow (chryso [Greek] - gold, stoma [Greek] - mouth).

The fourth dorsal fin spine supports an expanded pennant. This species grows to 18cm in length. The Pennant Bannerfish eats mainly coral polyps. It is known from the western and southern Pacific. In Australia it is recorded from the central coast of Western Australia around the tropical north (except the Gulf of Carpentaria) and south to southern Queensland.