Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and east coast of Africa, eastward to the Marshall Islands, Samoa and Tonga; north to Ryukyu Islands; south to northern Australia.

Posterior preopercular edge variable, usually with few or no serrae above angle; ventral preopercular edge serrate on posterior two-thirds. Scaly sheath along anal-fin base moderately developed. Description: Color in life silvery, sometimes with yellow to orange hue with 20-23 narrow curved orange lines, the first 2 bars behind the opercle sometimes unite to form a diffuse vertically elongate orange mark between pectoral fin base and lateral line; yellow stripe from tip of snout to posterior end of orbit, edged in narrow iridescent blue reaching onto eye above and below pupil; cheek with dark dots, sometimes forming a wide dark cheek mark; large dark caudal spot, frequently diffuse in large adults; spot of juveniles smaller, about pupil size; fins pale, but leading edge of first dorsal fin, and sometimes second dorsal, pale orange; anal fin sometimes with faint orange basal stripe, tip of first 1-2 rays sometimes white.

Inhabits continental and insular shelves; on coral and rocky reefs in sheltered bays and lagoon, patch reefs, with muddy, sandy and silty bottoms or coral rubble, and mangroves.