Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Society Islands, north to the Ryukyu and Hawaiian islands, south to the Great Barrier Reef. Eastern Central Pacific: southern Baja California, Mexico and from Guatemala to northern Colombia, including the Galapagos.

Close set narrow dark bands. Has close-set pebble-like teeth used for crushing hard-shelled prey.

A secretive inhabitant of sandy and rocky bottoms, crevices and ledges of seaward reefs. It feeds primarily on xanthid crabs, but also on other crustaceans, mollusks and sea urchins. Benthic from 1-39 m, usually at <4 m