[2] Native to the western Pacific Ocean, it inhabits rocky reef areas and prefers temperate waters around the Korean Peninsula, China, Japan, and the Ogasawara Islands.

[6] The Asian sheephead wrasse is one of the largest labrid species found in the waters of the western Pacific, reaching a weight of around 14.7 kg (32 lb) and a length of 100 cm (39 in).

The mouth is terminal, consistent with the fact that this fish is usually present in the middle of the water column, and prefer to eat prey directly in front of them or beneath them.

As mentioned above, adult females of this species are able to change into males when they reach a critical body size; after the transition, the fish gains a bulbous forehead, and also starts exhibiting aggressive behavior.

In eating sea urchins, the Asian sheephead wrasse plays an important role in their population control, and thus is crucial in maintaining healthy marine habitats.

The sheephead wrasse gained media attention when the sex change was caught on camera by the BBC Earth crew while filming in the waters near Sado Island, Japan.

[12] According to Great Big Story, Japanese diver Hiroyuki Arakawa had a 30-year relationship with an Asian sheephead wrasse, which he named "Yuriko", in Japan's Tateyama Bay, where he was the caretaker for an underwater Shinto shrine.