Indo-Pacific: East Africa, including the Mascarene Islands to the Hawaiian and Society islands, north to Ryukyu Islands, south to Lord Howe Island.

Color in life bluish grey with numerous yellowish brown spots which tend to form irregular longitudinal lines; head with narrow irregular stripes; behind eye a yellow spot; brown pectoral fins; base of caudal fin with white bar. Caudal spine large, 3 - 4.4 in head. Stomach gizzard-like. Differs from A. dussumieri by having vertical stripes instead of spots on the blue central area of the caudal fin, from A. mata by having a lunate caudal fin, and from A. xanthopterus by having plain brown to blue-grey pectoral fins.

Occurs in outer lagoon and seaward reefs, usually seen in small groups and school in some oceanic locations.