Selenotoca papuensis fish has a general body colour of silver marked with seven or eight black vertical bands on the upper part of the body; these bands break up into spots on the lower part of the body. The spiny dorsal and lips are black. The body shape is vertically compressed and oval, similar to Scatophagy argus. These fish have never been bred in captivity, and there’s no recognized technique of determining the sexes. Adult aquarium specimens attain a length of 4 inches.
Even though it is not considered a community fish, simply because it usually inhabits brackish water, Selenotoca papuensis could be acclimatised to fresh water if the transition is gradual. It can then be included in a community of fresh-water tropical fish, providing the other members are about the exact same size.