Large triangular and compressed teeth in jaws and smaller teeth on the palatine and vomar. Lateral line bent downwards under the middle of second dorsal fin. Entire body covered with small scales. Numerous dark vertical and wavy bars, with spots on flanks. Feeds on small schooling fishes, such as clupeids, engraulids and carangids.
Young fish feeds also on benthic species.
Reaches sexual maturity at 65 cm. Eggs and larvae planktonic. Red Sea, eastern Africa to Capetown. Indian Ocean to Japan, western and eastern Australia and Fiji. Since the 1980s, this species has become very common in the eastern Levant, contributing greatly to purse seine and trammel net fishery.