Circumglobal. Indo-West Pacific: South Africa, Persian Gulf, southern Japan and the Hawaiian Islands, south to New Caledonia; Mariana and Caroline islands in Micronesia. Western Atlantic: Bermuda, Nova Scotia, Canada to Brazil; also from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Eastern Atlantic: British coast (vagrant) to Morocco and the Mediterranean. Distribution in eastern central Atlantic along the African coast is not well established due to past confusion with Seriola carpenteri.

Bluish grey or olivaceous above, silvery white below; amber stripe along midside of body; fins dusky. Second dorsal and anal fins with low anterior lobe. Species of Seriola lack scutes.

Found in deep seaward reefs; occasionally entering coastal bays. Feed primarily on fishes such as the bigeye scad, also feeds on invertebrates. Small juveniles associate with floating plants or debris in oceanic and offshore waters. Juveniles form small schools or solitary.