Garish Hind

Cephalopholis igarashiensis has a deep body with the depth of the body being greater than the length of the head, the standard length is 2.0 to 2.4 times the depth of the body. The dorsal profile of the head is straight or marginally concave to beyond the eye while the nape is distinctly convex. The preopercle is rounded and the edges have fine serrations although those on the ventral margin are slightly less fine giving it a more irregular appearance but the serration remain enclosed within the skin. The dorsal fin contains 9 spines and 14 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 9 soft rays. The caudal fin rounded. The overall colour of this species is reddish-orange and it has seven wide, lemon-yellow bars on the upper flanks which reach onto the dorsal fin, and three wide yellow irregular oblique stripes on the head. The juveniles are yellower, darkening on the lower body, and they have several white bars on the body and a large black eyespot on the soft rayed part of the dorsal fin. They also have blackish pelvic fins, and a black area at the base of the anal fin. This species attains a maximum standard length of 43 centimetres (17 in)>, but a more common length is 25 cm (10 in).

Cephalopholis igarashiensis is found mainly in the Western Pacific Ocean where it is found as far north as Japan, east to Fiji and French Polynesia and south to Australia. In Australia it has been reported from Scott Reef in Western Australia, east to the Arafura Sea off the Northern Territory. It is also found around Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.