Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Marquesan and Society islands, north to the Philippines.

Color brown with about 4 longitudinal rows of dendritic black blotches; very fine white scribbling anteriorly on body and fins; behind eye an irregular black spot bordered above and below by white; pores on side of jaws in large white spots. Juveniles distinctly marked on the head and adults plain brown, but showing black barring posteriorly on the dorsal and anal fins on the tail.

Occurs in ledges and rubble areas of outer reef slopes to depths of at least 40 m. Usually in caves below 20 m.