This species is among the more frequently-traded members of the genus, although confusion regarding its identification and natural distribution is commonplace and it’s often misidentified as B. nunus or B. xanthozonus.

It can be diagnosed as follows: <30 lateral scales; one black band on head, three on body; first black band on body overlapping first dorsal fin to the extent that almost all fin, except a narrow margin, is black, and beginning opposite centre of opercle...