leptocephalus

[lep-tuh-sef-uh-luhs]

noun

plural

leptocephali 

1. a colorless, transparent, flattened larva, especially of certain eels and ocean fishes.

leptocephalus

/ ˌlɛptəʊˈsɛfələs /

noun

1. the slender transparent oceanic larva of eels of the genus Anguilla that migrates from its hatching ground in the Caribbean to European freshwater habitats

Word History and Origins

Origin of leptocephalus¹

From New Latin, dating back to 1760–70; lepto-, -cephalous

Example Sentences

He had observed that leptocephali larvae varied in size and deduced that the smaller they were, the nearer they would be from spawning areas.

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The first major stage in the life of a newborn eel is that of the leptocephalus, meaning ‘slender head’.

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Grassi observed these leptocephali larvae metamorphosed into glass eels when they arrived close to the coast and later grew into yellow eels.

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When the leptocephali near the coast, they transform into tube-like glass eels.

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The leptocephali might look delicate, but make no mistake: these youngsters can fend for themselves.

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