The mangrove jack, or mangrove red snapper, occurs in coastal habitats such as coral reefs, river estuaries and mangrove.

Juveniles tend to shelter in mangrove systems, including brackish back-mangrove areas and the lower reaches of freshwater streams and rivers.

Larger adults may congregate around coastal coral reefs, where spawning takes place. The largest specimens may occur many kilometres from the coast, in deeper coral reefs of over 100 metres depth.

This is a predatory species which consumes other fish, and crustaceans such as crabs and particularly prawns. It prefers to ambush its prey, lying in wait amongst tree roots, fallen trees and under rocky ledges.

Its colour is variable and can range from reddish brown to greenish brown to blackish. Juveniles generally exhibit faint, thin pale bars on the flanks and may have bluish lines on the cheek.

The mangrove jack is a wide-ranging species occurring in coastal waters of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans, and throughout the Indo-Malayan archipelago from northern Australia in the south to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan in the north.