Crested Hairtail

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.

Dorsal spines (total): 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 126 - 144; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 47 - 50

Benthopelagic or pelagic in coastal waters but not found where there is low salinity. Feeds mainly on small fishes, squids and crustaceans.

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.

fisheries: minor commercial; price category: medium; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family

分布於印度-西太平洋之溫暖水域，由紅海、莫三比克海峽、安達曼海至澳洲東南部，向北至南中國海、東海及日本南部。台灣主要產於澎湖海域。

主要漁法為底拖網、巾著網及定置網等。油炸或醃食，為次要經濟性魚種。

體甚延長，側扁，呈帶狀；尾極長，向後漸變細，末端成細長鞭狀。頭窄長，頭背面高高突起，前端尖銳，吻尖長。眼中大。口大，平直；下頜長於上頜；齒發達銳利，側扁而尖，排列稀疏，上頜前端具倒鉤狀大犬齒2顆。鱗退化；側線在胸鰭上方略向下彎，而後沿中部至尾端。背鰭起始於後頭部延伸至尾端，具V棘，126-144軟條；臀鰭退化，起始於背鰭第47-50軟條之下方，具II棘，第I棘小，第II棘鱗片化，而後皆棘狀化，通常會埋於皮下；腹鰭退化，僅呈一對棘狀突起；胸鰭極短，末端不及側線上方；無尾鰭。體銀白色，體側具不規則之暗色斑駁；背鰭及胸鰭淺灰色，具細小黑點；尾端呈黑色。

暖溫水域中底層洄游性魚類，一般棲息於近泥砂泥質水域，水深在50-70公尺間，可游至深遠110公尺深之水域，產卵時則洄游至淺海水域。喜弱光，有明顯日夜垂直分布之習性，白天至深水層，黃昏、夜間及清晨則上游至表層。具群游性，性極貪食，以小魚及甲殼類為食。

Lives 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.