Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Indo-Malay Archipelago, north to Japan, south to northwestern Australia. This species has generally been treated under the name Nemipterus metopias by most previous authors.

Suborbital spine absent. Preopercle with 3 transverse scale rows. Pectoral and pelvic fins short, reaching to just short of level of anus. A line drawn up from posterior edge of suborbital reaching the dorsal profile about 2 to 6 scale rows before origin of dorsal fin. Upper lobe of caudal fin produced into a long yellow trailing filament. Axillary scale present. Color: Upper body reddish, silvery below. Yellow stripes in front of eye through nostrils, and from upper lip to beneath eye. Less distinct golden stripe from behind eye to origin of lateral line.

Benthic on sand bottoms near rocks.