Banded archerfish colourations, such as yellow, have been observed. Four to six broad black bars may be present on the dorsal side. The first bar is found anterior to the operculum, the bony plate covering the gills, and the second is found behind the operculum. The third bar is found below the origin of the dorsal fin, the fourth bar below the soft dorsal, and the fifth (if any) on the area between the anal fin and caudal fin (caudal peduncle). These bars become shorter as the fish ages. The lateral line curves upwards at the area between the fourth and ninth
Upeneus moluccensis anal fin. The caudal fin is deeply forked. The chin bears a pair of barbels which do not extend past the margin of the preoperculum. The upper and lower jaws, the palatine and the vomer are covered in brush-like or villiform teeth. The back is pinkish-red in colour contrasting with the white belly, from which it is separated by single longitudinal yellow stripe which runs from the operculum to the caudal fin peduncle. The dorsal fins are yellow in colour with 3 parallel red bars while the pectoral find is a similar colour but lacks markings and the pectoral fin