Abstract
T.cristatus, which has not been reported since Klunzinger (1884) first recorded the fish from the Red Sea, commonly occurs in the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca.A developed cranial crest characterizes the fish.Other taxonomically important characters are: caudal absent, dorsal spines 5, pyloric caeca 11-13, vertebrae on trunk 45-48, pectoral fins short not reaching lateral line, ventral fins situated below 9-12th dorsal ray, anal origin below 47-50th dorsal ray, 2nd infraorbital present.The biological minimum size seems to be around 30 cm in total length.Small fishes constitute a main food category of the species, followed by small-sized crustaceans and squids.
