Crescent Grunter

Terapon jarbua is a medium-sized grunter with an oblong, slightly laterally compressed body. The mouth is oblique; the jaws are of equal length, and the maxilla is level with the front edge of the eye in juveniles and the centre of the eye in adults. It has conical, slightly recurved teeth which are set in bands along the jaw. The teeth in the outer rows are enlarged and are present in juveniles but not all adults. There are 11-12 spines in the dorsal fin and 9-11 rays. The spiny portion of the fin is strongly arched, with the fourth to sixth spines being the longest and most deeply notched. The anal fin has 3 spines and 7-10 soft rays while the caudal fin is emarginate. They have 75–100 pored scales in their lateral line. They have a silvery white body lined by 3-4 curved stripes from the nape to the rear of the body with the lowest stripe bisecting the caudal fin.

Terapon jarbua has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution which extends from the Red Sea and the coasts of eastern Africa as far south as South Africa through the Indian Ocean, including the Persian Gulf and into the Pacific Ocean as far east as Samoa. Its range extends northwards to Japan and south to the Arafura Sea and Lord Howe Island. A single specimen was reported in 2010 from the eastern Mediterranean Sea, a likely entry from the Suez Canal.

Terapon jarbua is fished using all types of inshore fishing gear, including gillnets, traps, handlines and bottom trawls. These fish are sold fresh or in a dried and salted form. This species is infrequently available in the aquarium trade.