The Thumbprint Emperor lives in the Red Sea and the marine waters from East Africa Eastward to southern Japan and northeastern Australia.
Thumbprint Emperors have large eyes for feeding at night. They are bottom feeding carnivores that are a highly valued food fish.
The identified by a large elliptical blotch, often bordered in yellow on their side just below the lateral line. Mostly a pale appearance other than that.
They can be found solitary or in small schools. They can be found in a variety of habitats from shallow sandy, coral reefs, the roots of mangroves, lagoons and seagrass flats.