leptocephalus

American  

[lep-tuh-sef-uh-luhs] / ˌlɛp təˈsɛf ə ləs /

noun

leptocephali plural

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

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leptocephalus British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• leptocephali
  plural

Etymology

Origin of leptocephalus

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

leptocephali

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

From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2023

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

From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2023