Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 190 m . Tropical; 35°N - 35°S, 30°E - 78°W

Maturity: Lm 35.0  range ? - ? cm Max length : 117 cm FL male/unsexed; ; common length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; ; max. published weight: 43.5 kg

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 21 - 24; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 17 - 21; Vertebrae: 24. This species is distinguished by the following characters: gill rakers (including rudiments) 5-9 + 17-21 = 25-29 (usually 26-27); breast completely scaly; straight part of lateral line with 0-10 anterior scales followed by 27-42 strong scutes; adipose eyelid weakly developed, small anteriorly, posterior adipose eyelid extends onto eye to rear border of pupil in large adults; upper jaw with outer row of strong canines widely spaced in adults, and an inner band of small villiform teeth, widest at symphysis; lower limb of first gill arch jaw with a single row of strong
conical teeth widely spaced in adults. Colour of adults with head and dorsal half of body brassy, suffused with blue, and covered with small blue black spots (forming at about 16 to 22 cm fork length and increasing in number with size); second dorsal, anal, and caudal fins electric blue; juveniles and young adults, head and body silvery grey and fins pale to dark dusky, except pectoral fins yellow ( Ref. 9894, 90102).