Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Marquesas and Line islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to Australia. More common around oceanic islands than in continental areas.

Snout somewhat pointed. Dorsal profile of head rounded. Preorbital bone relatively broad; its width usually greater than eye diameter. A deep groove or pit runs from the nostrils to the front of the eye. Preopercular notch and knob moderately developed. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line. Young and some adults with two silvery-white spots on back. Large adults mostly plain red.

Inhabits coral reefs, including sheltered lagoons and outer reefs. Usually found singly, often adjacent to steep outer reef slopes, but occasionally found in groups. Feeds mainly on fishes, but also takes shrimps, crabs, amphipods, stomatopods, gastropods and urochordates. Large fish from oceanic areas in the western Pacific are often ciguatoxic, e.g., in Tuvalu. Utilized fresh and dried-salted. In Hong Kong live fish markets.