Indo-West Pacific: Madagascar, and from Durban, South Africa to the Gulf of Oman and the coasts of India. From the Andaman Sea to Indonesia and the Philippines, southeast to the Arafura Sea, northern and western Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Belly with usually 18 or 19 + 8 or 9, total 26 to 28 scutes, strongly keeled. Eye large, lower jaw projecting; and upper jaw with a toothed hypo-maxillary bone between hind tip of pre-maxilla and lower bulge of maxilla blade. Dorsal fin origin near midpoint of body. Scales with upper and lower vertical striae slightly overlapping each other at center of scales.

Occurs in coastal areas, entering mangrove areas and estuaries, and freshwater as well (e.g. in the Pangani River, Tanzania), thus apparently fully euryhaline.