Butterfishes are primarily coastal fishes found in depths shallower than 100 m. They usually form small schools or shoals over the muddy bottoms with coarse sands. They feed mainly on zooplankton, salps, ctenophores, jellyfishes, medusae and small benthic organisms.
There are 3 genera and about 16 species of Stromateidae worldwide. Malaysia has only one genus and 3 species.