Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to Samoa, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to Australia.

Dorsal profile of head moderately sloped. Preorbital bone about equal in width to eye diameter or slightly less. Preopercular notch and knob poorly developed. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line. Generally whitish or light brown, darker on the upper portion of the side and head. A series of six or seven horizontal yellow stripes runs on the side, mainly below the lateral line. The belly, most of the caudal peduncle, and fins are yellowish. A prominent black spot is on the lateral line below the first few soft dorsal fin rays. L. fulviflamma differs from L. ehrenbergii by having the scale rows on its back rise obliquely above the lateral line. Juveniles with a black stripe over snout and through the eye, and a round to elongated black side spot. Adult with a more elongated side-spot and reduced in size proportionally to total length and several yellow lines along lower sides.

Inhabit coral reefs. Often in large aggregations with Lutjanus kasmira and Lutjanus lutjanus.