saurus is distributed in the western Atlantic Ocean from Chatham, Massachusetts south along the U.S. coast, throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, and along the South American coast to Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

[1] It voraciously devours small fish and shrimp, often in company with larger predatory species.

Traditionally, the leather jacket has not been eaten, but recently, with large-scale farming of the fish, it has become common at market[where?].

The fish has a mild, oily taste similar to Spanish mackerel or bluefish.

It has occasionally been the prey to blue swimmer crab, as juvenile fish in sea grass beds.