Pristipomoides typus was first formally described in 1852 as by the Dutch ichthyologist, herpetologist and physician Pieter Bleeker in with its type locality given as Sibogha on Sumatra.

[3] Pristipomoides typus has an elongated, robust body which has a depth of just under a third of its standard length.

[5] Pristipomoides typus is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean It occurs from the Andaman Sea east to Papua New Guinea, north to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan and south to Australia.

[1] It is a demersal species[5] which is found at depths between 40 and 180 m (130 and 590 ft) over hard, rocky and bumpy substrates.

It is considered to be a fish for eating and it is occasionally found in markets where it is normally sold fresh.