Western Pacific: southern Japan to western Indonesia, the Arafura Sea, and Australia. Reported from Peter the Great Bay.

tapers very slightly to beneath the middle of the soft portion of the dorsal fin, and then abruptly to the peduncle. This species is distinguished from P. fitchi by the presence of numerous rusty brown to yellowish spots in the membranes of the dorsal and anal fins, and its less tapered body.

Occurs in inshore and offshore reefs from less than 20 m to more than 400 m depths. Apparently forms aggregations in open bottom areas and is very abundant in the South China Sea and Andaman Sea. Marketed fresh, whole. Sound production has been studied in this species.