Its body is white with "chevron" markings on the side. The rear edge of the dorsal fin has a prominent black spot with a trailing filament behind it, and a black vertical band runs through the eye.
The fish also has a belly patch of descending oblique dark lines and bright yellow fins. Two subspecies are sometimes recognised: Chaetodon auriga auriga occurs in the Red Sea and lacks the dorsal eyespot; Chaetodon auriga setifer is the spotted population occurring outside the Red Sea.