There is a bony ridge edge of bone beneath and in front of each eye which has obvious serrations in smaller individuals.

The juveniles have golden bars on their upper flanks and these break up into large spots as the fish matures.

[4] Arripis trutta is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean mostly around the littoral waters of the Tasman Sea and Bass Strait.

The adults congregate and form very large schools off oceanic beaches and exposed coasts coastal areas,[3] and will enter rivers.

There is some evidence that the diet of A. trutta has undergone a marked shift since the late 20th century, studies conducted during 1950s and 1960s found that the adults fed largely on krill and squid, which are animals associated with cooler waters.

It is thought that this shift is a result of long-term changes in the East Australian Current which brings warmer waters from the Coral Sea and has extended farther south since the 1990s.

The feeding schools push the smaller fish they are preying on towards the surface, making them accessible to seabirds, In this way, this species has an important ecological role in facilitating transfer of energy among the upper levels of the pelagic food chain in inshore ecosystems.

Fishers hunting for schools of kahawai to troll look out for the flocks of white-fronted terns feeding in association with the predatory fish.

[4] The name kahawai is specific to Māori language, as the word is not used for any similar species of fish across Polynesia.

[11] Arripis trutta are highly prized by recreational fishers, especially for anglers fishing from beaches and rocks.