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leptocephalus

[lep-tuh-sef-uh-luh s]
noun, plural lep·to·ceph·a·li [lep-tuh-sef-uh-lahy] /ˌlɛp təˈsɛf əˌlaɪ/.
  1. a colorless, transparent, flattened larva, especially of certain eels and ocean fishes.
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Origin of leptocephalus

From New Latin, dating back to 1760–70; see origin at lepto-, -cephalous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for leptocephalus

Historical Examples

  • Teleostean fishes are generally bony, but the bones are represented by cartilages in Leptocephalus.

    The Contemporary Review, Volume 36, October 1879

    Various

British Dictionary definitions for leptocephalus

leptocephalus

noun plural -li (-ˌlaɪ)
  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
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012