Emmelichthys nitidus was first formally described in 1845 by the Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and Arctic explorer Sir John Richardson with its type locality given as Western Australia.

In the Indian Ocean it has been recorded from Madagascar and occurs around St. Paul and Amsterdam islands.

[6] It is a pelagic species found in open water at depths between 86 and 500 m (282 and 1,640 ft).

[7] Emmelichthys nitidus gathers in schools with the juveniles being found near the surface, frequently mixed in with schools of other pelagic fish, especially clupeids while the adults occur close to the bottom in deeper water.

Off Tasmania they have a spawning season which lasts for two months and is stimulated by the rising of the water temperature in Spring.