The species is widespread in the waters of the tropical Indo-West Pacific Ocean, ranging from east Africa to India, Asia, Indonesia and Australia.

The Indian threadfish is similar to the other two species in the genus Alectis, with a slight concavity in the profile of the head the most obvious distinguishing feature.

[3] The species was first recognized and scientifically described by the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell in 1830 under the name Scyris indicus, with the type specimen collected from the Red Sea.

Rüppell's original classification was also revised; the fish was first placed in Seriolichthys, and finally in the senior genus Alectis by James Douglas Ogilby in 1913.

[5][6] The common name of the species, 'Indian threadfish' or 'Indian threadfin' refers to its distribution which includes Indian waters, and the characteristic elongated dorsal fins in juveniles.

In some years currents bring the juveniles as far south as Sydney, Australia where they inhabit of estuaries in the summer, before dying off in the cold winter.

The major identifying feature of the species is its head profile, having a slight concavity near the eyes which distinguishes it from its close relatives in the genus Alectis.

As with A. ciliaris, the trailing fins of juveniles are thought to resemble jellyfish medusae, causing predators to avoid the young fish.

Relatively little is known about reproduction in the species, although observations made in Indonesia show spawning occurs in pairs at daytime between ebbing and flooding tides.