A leptocephalus (meaning "slim head" [1]) is the flat and transparent larva of 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.

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.

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:

4 days ago · Moray eels belong to the family Muraenidae and are true eels, distinct from other eels (like electric eels) ... Moray eels begin life as leptocephalus larvae — tiny, transparent, leaf-like creatures that drift in the open ocean for months before settling into reefs. This planktonic stage allows them to disperse across wide geographic ranges.

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.

European eel (Anguilla anguilla) earliest life stages haven't been encountered in nature, thus, studying behavior of hatchery-reared larvae is crucial for understanding their ecology and developing rearing protocols.Utilizing computer-assisted video tracking we investigated the behavior of hatchery-reared eel larvae from hatching to …

2 days ago · For reasons still not entirely understood, it provides the perfect nursery for eel larvae. What makes it even more surprising is that eels from both Europe and North America spawn in this same mysterious region, yet their offspring drift off in different directions—some heading east, others west. The Sargasso’s secrets add yet another layer ...

Eel larvae, called leptocephalus larvae, drift back to Europe in the Gulf Stream. Read More

Feb 12, 2025 · Eel migration involves both oceanic and freshwater phases. After hatching in the Sargasso Sea, the larvae, known as leptocephali, travel thousands of kilometers aided by ocean currents like the Gulf Stream, which transport them towards Europe and North America.