The bartail flathead was first formally described in 1758 as Callionymus indicus by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae with the type locality given as "Asia".

[7] The bartail flathead has a depressed head that is smooth, apart from low parieto-occipital, scapular and preopercular ridges, which are neither spined nor serrated.

[9] The bartail flathead has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution from the Red Sea and the eastern coast of Africa east to the Philippines, north to Japan and south to Papua New Guinea.

[11][12][13] The bartail flathead is found at depths between 20 and 200 m (66 and 656 ft) over sand and mud substrates,[9] often close to reefs[1] or seagrass beds,[14] and the juveniles have been known to enter the freshwater reaches of rivers.

[8] The bartail flathead is caught using handlines and seine nets in shallow waters and by trawls at depths to 30 m (98 ft), typically less.