Orange roughy have a reddish body that fades to a distinctive orange after capture with a bluish tinge in the belly area. The species has a deep body and a massive head with conspicuous bony ridges. The lateral line scales are larger than the small and irregular body scales, which are easily shed.

Orange roughy are slow growing, long-lived fish belonging to the Trachichthyidae family (roughies). They are widespread in the deep water of most temperate oceans around the world. In the New Zealand EEZ they are found in most areas at depths of 750 to 1,200 metres. The largest fishery is on the Chatham Rise.  Fisheries also occur off the north and east coasts of North Island and in the south on Pukaki Rise.

Spawning occurs in dense aggregations between late June and early August in several areas from Bay of Plenty to the Auckland Islands.

They are caught year-round by trawling and recruit to the fisheries after the onset of sexual maturity, which is estimated to be at 23 to 31 years of age.  They are believed to reach ages in excess of 100 years.

There are three related non-commercial species found in New Zealand. These are silver roughy (H. mediterraneus), common roughy (Paratrachichthys trailli), and slender roughy (Optivus elongatus).