This continental shelf species is usually found in turbid water in seagrass beds or silty sand bottoms around isolated small rock outcrops, as well as near dead coral or soft coral as deep as 200 metres (Randall and Ben-Tuvia 1983, Leis 1987, Randall and Heemstra 1991). Juveniles are common to depths of 80 m (Kailola et al. 1993). It has also been observed on artificial reefs in Hong Kong (AFCD 2001). It feeds on fish and benthic invertebrates, primarily prawns and crabs (Parrish 1987, Randall and Heemstra 1991, Salini et al. 1994, Kulbicki et al. 2005). It is thought to spawn during seasonal periods and form spawning aggregations (Shapiro 1987). Maximum total length is 47 cm and maximum weight is 1.4 kg (Moran et al. 1988). The maximum reported age for this species is 15 years (Shapiro 1987), but a study conducted in northern Oman recorded a maximum age of 39 years and total length of 48 cm (J. McIlwain unpublished data). The length and age at first sexual maturity is 22.8 cm and 2 years for males and 23.5 cm and 2 years for females, respectively (Mahmoud 2009). When applying an age at first reproduction of 2 years and longevity of 39 years, its estimated generation length is 20 years based on the following equation recommended by the IUCN Red List methods: Age at first reproduction + (Age at last reproduction -“ age at first reproduction)/2.