image creditA leptocephalus (meaning 'slim head') is the flat and transparent larva of the eel, marine eels, and other members of the Superorder Elopomorpha. This is the most diverse group of teleosts, containing 801 species over the span of 24 orders, 24 families, and 156 genera. Fishes with a leptocephalus larva stage include the most familiar eels such as the conger, moray eel, garden eel, and the freshwater eels of the family Anguillidae.
Picture of a transparent eel larva.
