Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Ryukyu Islands and New Caledonia. Recently reported from Tonga.

Body is brown and gray (usually green, becoming lighter ventrally, with scattered irregular dark spots. Often there are two dark bands below the eye, one at the lower rim or the opercle and one at the corner of the mouth. The fins are generally light or translucent; the caudal fin is light and dark striped.

Inhabits sandy and weedy areas near coral reefs.