First described in 1859, the large-scale whiting is known to inhabit shallow waters along the coasts of a number of Indo-Pacific countries including Japan, Indonesia, Philippines and the Solomon Islands.

The species was first scientifically described by the Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker in 1859 from a specimen collected from the waters of Batavia in Bali, Indonesia.

[2] As with most of the family Sillaginidae, the large-scale whiting has a slightly compressed, elongate body tapering toward the terminal mouth.

He found the juveniles to have well-developed swim bladders with no posterior or anterior extensions, but the duct like process well developed.

[2] The fish is a yellowish colour, being darker above with a diffuse silver longitudinal mid-lateral band on the sides.