This species inhabits coral reefs typically along continental coastlines and large islands (Carpenter et al. 1997a, Grandcourt et al. 2005). Juveniles often occur in estuaries over sand, mud and gravel substrate and amongst mangroves (Kailola et al. 1993, Randall et al. 1997). It primarily consumes fishes, shrimps, crabs and other benthic crustaceans (Grandcourt et al. 2005). Its maximum total length is 172 cm and is a diandric protogynous hermaphrodite (Grandcourt et al. 2009). Juvenile sexual differentiation in this species can be significantly influenced by social factors (Liu and Mitcheson 2011). In the Arabian Gulf, it has been aged to at least 22 years (Mathews and Samuel 1991, Grandcourt 2006, M. Abdullah pers. comm. 2010). Females reach first maturity at 4 years and 34 cm total length. Males reach maturity at 67.5 cm and 7.5 years and transition occurs at 50 to 75 cm at 4 to 8 years of age (M. Abdullah pers. comm. 2010). McIlwain et al. (2015) reported a size and age at 50% maturity for females of 58 cm total length and 4 years. Based on a longevity of 22 years, age of first maturity of 4 years, and applying the mean generational turnover formula in Depczynski and Bellwood (2006), one generation length is estimated to be 12.5 years. It forms seasonal spawning aggregations in the Arabian Gulf from March to June (Heemstra and Randall 1993, Grandcourt et al. 2009).