A leptocephalus (meaning "slim head" [1]) is the flat and transparent larva of the eel, marine eels, and other members of the superorder Elopomorpha. This is one of the most diverse groups of teleosts, containing 801 species in 4 orders, 24 families, and 156 genera.

Distribution and size of leptocephali larvae of the American eel, Anguilla rostrata Eels are any of several long, thin, bony fishes of the order Anguilliformes. They have a catadromous life cycle, that is: at different stages of development migrating …

May 5, 2015 · Eels and other members of the Superorder Elopomorpha have a leptocephalus larval stage, during which they are flat and transparent. This group is quite diverse, containing over 800 species spanning several orders and families, becoming prevalent during the Cretaceous period, over 140 million years ago.

Mar 6, 2022 · The lower jaw of eel larvae was significantly longer than the upper jaw from 50 DAH. In the pre-leptocephalus and leptocephalus stages, eel larvae showed continuous positive allometric growth at trunk height and tail muscle height with change to the willow leaf-like form.

Jan 12, 2013 · Leptocephali differ from fish larvae because of their size and their long larval periods, which last between three months to more than a year. Their anguilliform swimming motions allow them to move forwards and backward. They appear to feed on marine snow, tiny free-floating particles in the ocean.

May 27, 2024 · The leptocephalus is an eel’s transparent, flat larva, and its name means “slim head.” They belong to the superorder Elopomorpha, which is one of the most diverse groups of teleosts. This group contains over 800 species within 4 …

This undulating creature is a large Leptocephalus, a not-often-seen eel in its larval stage. It was filmed by Barry Haythorne and Rob Rutgers while they were scuba diving in Bali. The six-minutes of footage provides a look at the swimming eel larva’s tiny head and face and its long transparent body. More from Scientific American:

The body shape of leptocephalus larvae is well suited for drifting with ocean currents, unlike the more characteristically eel-like shape of glass eels, which are not as buoyant and must actively swim to leave the ocean currents and move into coastal waters (Chino and Arai, 2010).

Apr 19, 2017 · Eels, bonefish, ladyfish, and tarpon form a diverse superorder of fishes (Elopomorpha) that all begin their planktonic lives as leptocephalus larvae, which are characterized by long and laterally compressed bodies that are almost completely transparent.

Jan 6, 2022 · This large size leptocephalus must be a species of Muraenidae (moray eels), and probably the larva of a long thin ribbon eel, which is metamorphosing, not feeding, and is entering shallow water to finish metamorphosis into a young eel.