Eastern Indian Ocean: Andaman Sea. Western Pacific: New Guinea to Sumatra, north to the Ryukyu Islands. Present in Australia from the North West Shelf to Tweed Heads in New South Wales. Records from the western Indian Ocean need verification.

Interorbital space flat. Bases of dorsal and anal fins without scales, their last soft rays extended into short filaments. Pectoral fins long, reaching level of anus. Scale rows on back parallel to lateral line. Overall color rosy red; the top of the head with longitudinal vermiculated lines and spots of brownish yellow; the dorsal fin with wavy yellow lines.

Sharptooth snapper are deepwater fish inhabiting tropical and sub-tropical waters. They are schooling fish and live in areas of hard, rocky and uneven sea floor and steep off islands.