Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Society Islands, north to southern Japan and the Hawaiian Islands, south to Lord Howe Island; throughout Micronesia. Eastern Central Pacific: southern Baja California, Mexico and from Costa Rica to northern Colombia.

Body white with 2 rows of large dendritic black blotches; black spots between blotches become irregularly linear with age. Yellow eyes.

Found between rocks and corals of intertidal reef flats, also in shallow lagoon and seaward reefs to depths of at least 10 m. Benthic. Feeds mainly on crustaceans. Safely kept with small aquarium fishes.