The yellowspotted trevally inhabits the tropical and subtropical waters of the western Indo-Pacific region, from South Africa in the west to Japan and Australia in the east.

The species is known to grow to a maximum length of at least 1.2 m, and is distinguished by gill raker and fin morphology, as well as the distinctive golden spots which give the fish its name.

It is generally of minor importance to commercial fisheries throughout its range, but is considered an excellent sportfish by anglers and spearfishermen, and a good table fish.

The species was independently renamed a number of times, the first as Turrum emburyi by Gilbert Percy Whitley, a name which was commonly used and later transferred into Caranx and Carangoides.

[6] The juveniles of the yellowspotted trevally are uniformly silver with a few golden spots above the lateral line, with the upper body becoming a more iridescent blue green with increasing age.

At adulthood, many small golden to brassy spots occur above the midline with large individuals also having three irregular, indistinct dark blotches on the flank.

[8] The species ranges from South Africa in the west, north to the Red Sea and India, and is distributed throughout Southeast Asia and the Indonesian island chain.

[5] The yellowspotted trevally predominantly inhabits inshore lagoons and rocky or coral reef systems, although is occasionally found in seagrass meadows,[9] around offshore islands and on deep sand banks to depths around 100 m. It is intolerant of low salinities, so does not enter estuaries.

[9] The species' diet consists of small fish such as anchovies, a wide range of crustaceans, including swimming crabs, mantis shrimp, and prawns, and cephalopods such as squid.