Breast does not bulge outward. Similar: H. diphreutes (breast bulges out, shorter snout).
Size : 25 cm
Habitat : In lagoons and outer reef slopes, 2-75 m. Juveniles usually alone, adults often in pairs, rarely in small groups. Usually close by the reef. Feeds on zooplankton and invertebrate bottom-dwellers. Juveniles occasionally work as cleanerfish.
Distribution : Arabian Gulf and East Africa to the Philippines and French Polynesia.