Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to Samoa and the Line Islands, north to the Yaeyama and Wake islands, south to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Sometimes confused with the humphead wrasse or other 'humphead' parrotfishes. Unlike the wrasse, it has a vertical head profile, and unlike other parrotfishes, it is uniformly covered except for the leading edge of the head which is often light green to pink, and has a nodular outer surface to its beak.

Juveniles found in lagoons; adults in clear outer lagoon and seaward reefs up to a depths of at least 30 m.