This species inhabits a variety of benthic habitats on the continental shelf, including coastal and offshore reefs, shoal grounds and areas of flat bottom with occasional epibenthos or vertical relief (Newman 2002). It is associated with sponge and gorgonian-dominated habitats in parts of Australia (Sainsbury 1987). Juveniles tend to inhabit shallow inshore waters and seagrass beds (McPherson et al. 1988). It forages at night primarily for fish and benthic crustaceans, cephalopods and other benthic invertebrates (Kailola et al. 1993). Its maximum total length is 100 cm (Allen 1985). This species is relatively slow-growing and long-lived; estimated natural mortality is 0.112, longevity is 48 years, maximum fork length is 80.2 cm, males reach maturity at about 24 cm and females at 25-30 cm (Newman 2002, Fry and Milton 2009, Fry et al. 2009). Age at first sexual maturity is not known, but Lutjanus argentimaculatus, which is a species of similar biology with a somewhat smaller maximum size, matures at 14 years of age. When applying an age at first reproduction of 14 years and longevity of 48 years, its estimated generation length is 31 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.