cristatus

cristatus is a Latin adjective frequently used in the scientific names of organisms to indicate a crested feature. In the Linnaean system of binomial nomenclature, cristatus functions as a species epithet; it is not a taxon or a standalone name. The form cristatus is masculine, cristata feminine, and cristatum neuter, and each form must agree with the gender of its genus.

One well-known example is Lophophanes cristatus, the crested tit, a small passerine bird found in Europe and parts of Asia. The crested tit was formerly classified as Parus cristatus, reflecting historical changes in genus placement.

In broader use, cristatus appears in many other taxa to signal a crest-like morphology, such as head crests in birds, dorsal crests in fishes, or crested features in plants. The epithet is descriptive and may reflect an appearance noted at the time of naming, but taxonomic revisions can alter the genus or even the epithet over time. The gendered forms (cristata, cristatum) accommodate agreement with the genus.

Usage of cristatus spans zoology and botany and is common in Latinized scientific names dating back to the early modern period.