Tentoriceps cristatus (Klunzinger, 1884)
Crested hairtail
photo by CSIRO

Family:  Trichiuridae (Cutlassfishes), subfamily: Trichiurinae
Max. size:  90 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; marine; depth range 30 - 110 m
Distribution:  Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea, Mozambique Channel, Saya de Malha Bank, Chagos Islands, Andaman Sea, northern and southeastern Australia, South China Sea, East China Sea, Tasman Sea, Philippines, and southern Japan.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 5-5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 126-144; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 47-50. Body extremely elongate, compressed and tapering to a point. Pelvic fins reduced to scale-like processes; caudal fin absent. Lateral line running almost straight mid laterally nearer the ventral than the dorsal contour. Color is silvery white becoming silvery gray with dark cloud-like patches after death.
Biology:  Benthopelagic or pelagic in coastal waters but not found where there is low salinity. Feeds mainly on small fishes, squids and crustaceans. Caught mainly with bottom trawls and sometimes with bag nets, mixed with other trichiurid fishes in southeast Asian countries. Marketed fresh and dried salted in the Philippines.
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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