Platax batavianus was first formally described in 1831 by the French zoologist Georges Cuvier with its type locality given as Jakarta.

They are found in eastern Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles, the Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, the Andaman Sea, Indonesia, and Australia in the Indian Ocean.

[2] In the Pacific Ocean, they are found in the Gulf of Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, the Great Barrier Reef, New Zealand, and various Pacific islands not including Hawaii.

[2] Platax batavianus is a solitary species, but may be infrequently encountered as pairs or in small groups.

The small juveniles can be found in deeper water where their zebra-like striping camouflages them when they shelter among crinoids.