Scombrops boops is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a gnomefish from the family Scombropidae in the suborder Percoidei.

[8] Comparing the otolith (ear-bone) weight and the standard length relative to age also determined that S. boops and S. gilberti differ in their species-specific growth patterns.

[9] Gene sequences in S. boops and S. dubius also differ, and it was found that the African gnomefish is about 96% identical to its Japanese counterpart, but is still varied enough to be considered a distinct species.

[13][12] The southernmost detection of this species in the Indo-West Pacific range is Hong Kong, consisting of juveniles from the Japanese Archipelago that spawned and followed the current southward.

[14][11] Spawning occurs during the winter season from October to March, most commonly on the continental shelf of the East China Sea.

[13][2] The Kuroshio and Tsushima currents transport the eggs, larvae, hatchlings, and juveniles from the East China Sea to the Izu Islands of Japan, which act as a nursery for this species of gnomefish.

[13] The small population of S. boops found along the Hong Kong coast have similarly spawned in the East China Sea continental shelf and were then transported through the Taiwan Strait.

[16] Larger members of the species, above 180 millimeters in total length, feed primarily on adult fishes in the Apogonidae family.

While information about cultural importance and existing fisheries are unknown for this species, they are commonly found in Japanese marketplaces and are referred to as commercial fish by various studies due to their large body size when fully grown.