Usually found in seagrass or algae beds, this leatherjacket species shares many characteristics with Meuschenia leatherjackets, including the body shape, tail pattern and neon stripe around the outside of the body. However, it can usually be easily distinguished by its noticeably rougher skin. It also has a large blotch behind the eye (dark in juveniles and females, blue in males) and males have an even larger area of black colouration on the chin, extending to the pectoral fin where it changes to a black double stripe. Rough skin aside, it is often mistaken for Meuschenia freycineti and M. scabra. Its pattern makes it relatively easy to differentiate however, as M. freycineti does not have a spotted or blotchy pattern, while M. scabra's spotted pattern is much more regular, with a series of stripes radiating from its eye to its chin.
