Range and natural history
FishBase reports a western Atlantic range from Bermuda and North Carolina through the Gulf of Mexico to southeastern Brazil, with Indo-Pacific records also listed. Juveniles associate with floating seaweed, a habitat that moves with currents and can carry small fish beyond the nearest reef.
The account suggests a diet of plants and small invertebrates but describes that feeding information cautiously. The association with floating seaweed is the more firmly stated natural-history feature. When identifying a juvenile among drifting weed, compare its body and fin characters with related filefishes rather than relying on size alone.
