They can be found in the shallows of some esturies, and in the wave zone close to shore over rocky reefs. Not more than about 25 metres or 80 feet.

Sweep are small and look very much like Blue Maomao but they are a dark grey or grey blue colour, (where as the Maomao is blue all over apart from some slight yellowing on the belly fins). These fish are also shorter in body length with an oval shape.

This small fish is also a schooling fish and can form large schools from a few dozen fish up to a thousand or so.

Sweep grow to around 30cm or 1 foot long and weigh only a few hundred grams in weight.

They have small mouths and a small head with round eyes. They also have very small fine scales. They would have the same fin setup as the Maomao but slightly darker, and their tailfin is more u shaped and curved.

When sweep are very young, they have a number of orange spots and dark edges to back and tail fins. They also spend this young stage in the shallows of the mouths of estuaries, and in the wave zone sheltering behind boulders.

As they mature they become dark grey but without the yellow belly fin of the Blue Maomao. The males and females are the same in appearance.

The young start out about 1cm long and within a year they will grow to 15 to 20 cm long.

The Sweep's diet consists of minute larvae and other zooplankton.