Spondyliosoma emarginatum was first formally described as Cantharus emerginatus in 1830 by the French zoologist Achille Valenciennes with its type locality given as the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

[6] Spondyliosoma emarginatum has a moderately deep body which has a depth that fits into its standard length between 2 and 2.6 times.

[2] Spondyliosoma emarginatum is found in the southeastern AtlanticOcean and the southwestern Indian Ocean and is endemic to South Africa between Saldanha Bay on the Atlantic coast of the Western Cape to KwaZulu-Natal.

[8] Spondyliosoma emarginatum is usually considered to be too small to market and is not a species that is targeted by fishers; although some fishes caught may be kept for bait or personal consumption.

This species makes up a small part of recreational and commercial skiboat catches in the southeastern and southwestern Cape.

It is occasionally caught by shore anglers and is infrequently landed by beach seine nets in the southwestern Cape.