There remains some taxonomic confusion regarding the taxonomy of Plectorhinchus albovittatus and P. obscurus. Many authors consider P. albovittatus (type locality: Red Sea) as a widely distributed Indo-West Pacific species and consider P. obscurus (type locality: Fiji) as a junior synonym (e.g., McKay 2001, Hoese et al. 2006, Heemstra 2022). Other authors have considered P. obscurus as valid (e.g., Fricke et al. 2013), but further taxonomic research is needed to verify this. For the purposes of this assessment, we are treating P. obscurus as a junior synonym of P. albovittatus.

This species is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific at depths to 50 m. This species inhabits coral reef and adjacent habitats and may be subject to habitat loss and degradation. It supports local fisheries, particularly subsistence spearfishing, and can be a large component of the haemulid catch. Juveniles are a component of the aquarium trade. There is no indication of large-scale population decline, though there may be localized declines in some regions (e.g., Fiji). Given its apparent stable status, it is listed as Least Concern.

This species is currently considered to be widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific from East Africa (including the Red Sea) to Indonesia, north to the northern Mariana Islands and Japan (Ryukyu Islands), and south to Micronesia, the Solomon Islands, Australia (northern Great Barrier Reef) (Bray 2023), New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga (Myers 1991, Gell and Whittington 2002, Allen and Adrim 2003, Nakamura et al. 2003, Randall et al. 2003, Golani and Bogorodsky 2010, Allen and Erdmann 2012, Tenorio 2013, Johnson and Wilmer 2015). It has also been recorded from Samoa (A. Lawrence pers. comm. 2015). It is found at depths ranging from 2 to 50 m (Lieske and Myers 1994, Allen and Erdmann 2012).

This species comprises ~51% of the haemulid catch in coastal fisheries of Palau (Harper and Zeller 2011). It is rarely taken in the trawl fisheries of southern Kerala, India (Naomi et al. 2011). It was a dominant species in set gillnet landings in Pamban, India (Varghese and Joshi 2017). This species was formerly occasional, but is increasingly rare in Fiji (R. Thaman pers. comm. 2015). Survey data from Fiji showed a mean density of 0.2/ha for this species (S. Jupiter unpublished data 2015). It is more abundant in the Solomon Islands than in other survey localities. Surveys around the Populous Islands showed a mean density of 0.7/ha and surveys around the remote islands showed a mean density of 8.2/ha (A. Green unpublished data 2015). Mean density from Micronesia was lower ranging from 0.3/ha (Kosrae) to 3.4/ha (Yap) and was not recorded from Guam (B. Taylor unpublished data 2015).

This marine species inhabits mangrove habitats (Zulfikarrahman et al. 2020), clear water lagoons, seaward reefs, seagrass beds and seamounts (Lieske and Myers 1994, Gell and Whittington 2002, Allen and Erdmann 2012). Juveniles often occur in brackish habitats (i.e., mangroves, lagoons), shallow turbid coastal areas or seagrass beds, while adults are usually solitary or occur occasionally in pairs (Lieske and Myers 1994, Myers 1999, Kuiter and Tonozuka 2001, Nakamura et al. 2003, Allen and Erdmann 2012, Igulu et al. 2014). In Palau, individuals aggregate to spawn about once a year around new moon of April or May (Lieske and Myers 1994, Myers 1999, Kuiter and Tonozuka 2001). It primarily feeds on invertebrates (Sandin and Williams 2010, Metian et al. 2013). The maximum total length is 120 cm (Burhanuddin and Iwatsuki 2012).

This species may be subjected to habitat loss and degradation, though no threats are currently known to have a pervasive impact to the species' population on a global level. This species also forms spawning aggregations, which may expose it to highly efficient serial overfishing (Sadovy et al. 2008).

This is commercially exploited species and juveniles also appear in the aquarium trade (Edwards and Shepherd 1992, Chouvelon et al. 2009, Gouezo et al. 2015, Otto et al. 2015, Rehm et al. 2015). It is taken by handline and spear. Large individuals are marketed fresh and a small quantity is salted (McKay 2001).

There are no species-specific conservation measures. Its range overlaps with a number of marine protected areas such as the Palau Protected Areas Network (PAN) (Gouezo et al. 2015, Otto et al. 2015, Rehm et al. 2015, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC 2017).

Taxonomic research is needed.