They are found closer to shore than other warehou species. They are common in cooler waters off the South Island, at depths of 20 to 200 metres, and in Cook Strait. Blue warehou are migratory, and there can be variations in appearance at different locations.

Annual landings of blue warehou were generally less than 100 tonnes up to the early 1960s. By the early 1970s they had increased to around 1,000 tonnes, peaked at 4,387 tonnes in 1983-84 and declined steadily until the late 1980s. Since then, catches have fluctuated between 1,500 and 5,101 tonnes. The Ministry for Primary Industries' draft fisheries plan considers blue warehou as stocks for which fishing pressure is relatively low. If the catch of blue warehou were to decline over three consecutive years in a quota management area, then the total allowable catch would be considered for review.