It is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific, being found in shallow water from the East African coast to Indonesia.

The yellowback fusilier was first formally described in 1853 by the Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker with the type locality given as Batavia on Java.

[4] The yellowback fusilier is a small to medium-sized fish which grows to about 40 cm (16 in) long.

[5] The mouth is small and terminal and is protusible, being able to be extended forward to swallow food.

[7] The yellowback fusilier is diurnal, and lives in groups and forms schools with other caesionids such as Caesio teres.