The dragonet is common on jetty pylons and vertical rock walls. It is reddish in colour and has a whitish head with white bars along its back. In spite of its common name, this species is not related to the Dragonets (or stinkfishes, family Callionymidae), but instead belongs to the Thornfish family (Bovichtidae). It most closely resembles the threefins, but its colouration is distinctive.