Tailor can be found in waters ranging from estuaries and brackish waters, along surf beaches and rocky headlands and are occasionally found offshore near the surface and depths up to 50 metres. Spawning usually takes place from late winter to early spring. Large females may produce more than 1 million eggs. The eggs are pelagic. Juvenile tailor feed upon small crustaceans, cephalopods and fish, while adult tailor prey mainly on smaller schooling fish, particularly pilchards, sea garfish and sea mullet .
Tailor are cannibalistic and can be caught using tailor flesh as bait.
Tailor are one of the most popular recreational angling species. Estimates indicate that there are more tailor taken by recreational fishermen than commercial operators. The use of metal lures or 'spinners' is also popular. Tailor are mainly caught at dawn and duck when the fish move closer inshore to feed. With commercial fishing, the methods used are mainly gillnets and beach seines.