They are marked with many small bluish or pinkish spots on the head, body and fins.

[1] In Australia it is found from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea and from Cape York in Queensland south to Sydney in New South Wales Frederick Reefs and Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve in the Coral Sea, as well as at Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs and Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea.

[6][7] The yellow-edged lyretail is normally observed in clear-water areas at depths greater than 15 metres (49 ft)[3] but less than 350 metres (1,150 ft),[1] showing a preference for islands and offshore reefs over continental shores.

[2] The yellow-edged lyretail was first formally described as Perca louti by the Swedish naturalist Peter Forsskål (1732-1763) with the type locality given as Jeddah, now in Saudi Arabia, and Al Luḩayyah in Yemen.

However, there have been reports of ciguatera poisoning,[10] and this has led to the fish being banned from sale in Mauritius, when above 1.5 kg.

[3] The danger of poisoning has also meant that it is uncommonly fished for or sold in Japan and some countries of south-east Asia.