The species is distributed throughout the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the British Isles in the north to Senegal in the south, also entering the western Mediterranean Sea.

The vadigo is similar in form to both the leatherjacks and the queenfish, but can be distinguished by its scaleless chest and a broad, rounded upper jaw.

The vadigo is the only species classified in the monotypic genus Campogramma, which itself is one of 31 genera in the family Carangidae, which contains the jacks, horse mackerels and pompanos.

[2] In 1903, Charles Tate Regan transferred the species to a new genus, Campogramma, creating the valid combination in use today (Centronotus is now considered a synonym of Naucrates).

The species has two junior synonyms, the first was described in 1941 as Oligoplites africana by Delsman and the second in 1955 by Dollfus, who named Campogramma lirio.

[5] A review of the genus by Smith-Vaniz and Staiger cited several anatomical characters which were incompatible with the Trachinotinae, however would group it within the Naucratinae.

[7] The vadigo is similar in form to other carangids, particularly the genera Oligoplites and Scomberoides, commonly known as queenfish and leatherjacks.

[9] The body is covered in small ctenoid scales except for part of the chest area which is naked.

[2] The species is of minor importance to commercial fisheries throughout its range, often taken by bottom and pelagic trawls.