Indo-Pacific: Mauritius and Seychelles; Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean to the Marshall, Hawaiian and Marquesan islands. Western Central Atlantic: Bahamas, Cozumel to Isla Providencia and Curacao.

Body elongate, yellow or reddish brown. Black stripe through eye. Scales of lateral line large and well spaced; small ctenoid scales; black spot at base of last dorsal fin rays and white spot on dorsal midline just behind second dorsal fin.

Found in deep recesses of caves in the outer reef slope.