The tropical flounder is found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans, from the Red Sea and the eastern coast of Africa to Australia, including Madagascar, the Mascarene islands (Réunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues) and the Maldives.

In the western and central Pacific, the tropical flounder occurs from southern Japan and Hawaii to New Caledonia, New Zealand and Easter island.

The tropical flounder inhabits tropical reefs, usually living on sandy or coral bottoms down to about 330 feet deep, where it uses its excellent camouflage abilities to blend into the marine landscape.

The tropical flounder is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The tropical flounder appears in the IUCN Red List since 2020 within the category Least Concern !