View data on Catalog of Fishes here.
Escal appendage pattern B; esca with a large, laterally compressed, internally pigmented anterior appendage, with a membranous scalloped distal margin; a pair of filamentous medial escal appendages, the distal tips of which are lightly pigmented in 52.5-mm specimen; a conical terminal escal papilla; a short compressed posterior escal appendage, with a single small branch on posterior margin, and a similar branch on each side; lateral and anterolateral escal appendages absent.
Subopercle without indentation on posterodorsal margin; length of ventral fork of opercle 23.0–30.1% SL; ratio of lengths of dorsal and ventral forks of opercle 0.42–0.50.
Epibranchial teeth absent; teeth present on pharyngobranchial II; total number of teeth in upper jaw 28–53, in lower jaw 34–53; number of teeth on vomer 4; dorsal-fin rays 6; anal-fin rays 4 or 5 (only the lectotype has anal-fin rays 5); pectoral-fin rays 13 or 14.
Measurements expressed in percent of standard length: head length 33.3–41.0; head depth 43.8; premaxilla length 30.0–36.2; lower jaw length 43.6–52.4; illicium length 22.5–31.4.
A species of Oneirodes unique among its congeners in escal morphology. In addition, Oneirodes cristatus differs from all other species of the genus by having the following combination of character states: illicium length less than 35% SL, lower-jaw teeth 34–53, and pectoral-fin rays 13 or 14.
Oneirodes cristatus is known only from the Banda and Celebes Seas.
Probably meso- to bathypelagic. No conclusions can be made concerning vertical distribution.
Pietsch TW. 2009. Oceanic Anglerfishes: Extraordinary Diversity in the Deep Sea. Berkley: University of California Press. 638 p.
Although unknown, males of O. cristatus are certainly free living and non-parasitic, as is the case with most oneirodid taxa.
Known from three metamorphosed females (20–165 mm).
DANA station 3676(8), Banda Sea, 5°52'S, 131°14'E, 4000 m wire, bottom depth 7120 m, 0145 hr, 23 March 1929.
Lectotype of Oneirodes cristatus: ZMUC P9286, 165 mm.
