Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea, Aldabra, Seychelles, Ryukyu Islands, Yaeyama Islands; Palau, Truk, and Pohnpei in Micronesia.

Has a similar pattern to that of A. rainfordi, but is bluish-black rather than green, with yellow longitudinal stripes and a chain of ocelli from the base of the second dorsal fin to the upper caudal rays.

Occurs solitarily, hovering a short distance above sandy bottoms of reef bases. Stomach contents of one specimen comprise of filamentous algae, harpacticoid copepods, ostracods, amphipods, and nematodes. Inhabits sheltered bays and inner reefs on fine rubble shaded by large living corals.