Body color is olive-gray or brown, with scattered irregular small black blotches.

[5] Lethrinus rubrioperculatus is found in numerous locations, including East African waters, southern Japan and Taiwan, the Marquesas Islands, New Caledonia[6][7] and the northern half of Australia.

[4][8] Lethrinus rubrioperculatus lives over sandy bottoms, in areas where rubble is present, and along the slopes of outer reefs.

[11] Copepods parasitic on the gills include the caligid Caligus lethrinicola[13] and the lernanthropid Sagum vespertilio.

[11] The abdominal cavity contains two species of larval tetrarhynch cestodes, the otobothriid Otobothrium parvum[11] and the tentaculariid Nybelinia goreensis.