It lives in the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the Atlantic coast from the British Isles to the Cape of Good Hope, including the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands. The habitat are rocky or sandy sounding-deeps at depths of 0–200 metres (0–656 ft). Size can vary from 5–25 centimetres (2.0–9.8 in) in normal individual to up to 40 cm (16 in).
The comber feeds on other fish, cephalopods and crustaceans.