Indo-Pacific: Red Sea to the Line, Marquesan, and Society islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to the southern Great Barrier Reef; throughout Micronesia.

Reddish brown with about 10 dark bars and reddish fins. A reflective black to bluish grey spot, sometimes rimmed with white, on operculum.

Nocturnal species. Occurs inshore over rocky bottoms. Also found in outer reefs in mixed rich coral and algae rubble slopes.