Their fins are pale green, tinged with yellow and the base of the pectoral fins are bluish. Both jaws have numerous strong, sharp teeth and the lower jaw protrudes. There are 2 dorsal fins, the first with 7 or 8 short spines and the second with soft rays and a higher profile than the first dorsal. The rayed anal fin is almost as long as the second dorsal fin. Tailor have forked tails with broad lobes.
Tailor live in coastal waters of all states except the Northern Territory.
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 .