This species is reef associated and found to at least 30 m depth. It is commonly found in rocky and reef areas in shallow waters. It is less common in seagrass beds.

It feeds on other fishes (Böhlke and Chaplin 1993) and gastropods (Cervigón 1993). It forms leks during breeding (Allsop and West 2003). It is a protogynous hermaphrodite (Allsop and West 2003). It is diandric. It is also a pelagic spawner (Nemtzov 1985). Sex reversal is completed in more than three to four weeks (Roede 1972, Sadovy and Shapiro 1987). Length at sex change = 30.2 cm TL (Allsop and West 2003).