The body is elongated and laterally compressed like its counterparts. It has thick, whitish lips that form a beak-like structure. The body is covered in large, well-visible scales. The tail is rounded. Males display a teal colouration whereas females display red colouration with a dark blotch covering the anterior midsection just behind the eye, which is often bordered by yellow colouration.

It looks like Chlorurus gibbus (Heavy beak parrotfish), both belong to the parrotfish family (Scaridae), possess beak-like mouths formed by fused teeth, and primarily feed on algae and small crustaceans. Additionally, both species exhibit color changes throughout their lifecycles, though the specific patterns differ.