Western Atlantic: North Carolina, USA and Bermuda to southern Brazil. Eastern Atlantic: Mediterranean, Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Ascension and St. Helena Island. Indo-Pacific: South Africa, Japan, Hawaii, Australia, Lord Howe and Norfolk islands, New Zealand. Reported from New Caledonia.

Greenish blue above, silvery white below; midside of body with yellow stripe; opercle with black spot. LL with 20-26 scutes. With maxilla the rear edge sloping slightly forward to its main axis, a large, diffuse dark blotch on the operculum, and a lateral line with 57-78 scales in the curved portion and 34-46 posterior scutes.

Occur in bays and coastal waters, including estuaries. Juveniles usually inhabit estuaries, bays and shallow continental shelf waters, while adults form schools near the sea bed on the continental shelf.