Indo-West Pacific: Maldives, then from the Andaman Sea and Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean to the Philippines and the Line Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to Samoa.

Brown in color when preserved; a black bar on upper edge of gill opening; head spotted; a less intense dark mark just behind the eye, connected narrowly with the dark bar; a dark brown region around the caudal spine; outer third of upper pectoral rays pale yellow. Large adults develop a distinctly convex head profile.

Inhabits clear outer reef flats and seaward reefs.