.gif)
Leptocephalus (genus)
Encyclopedia
Leptocephalus is a genus
that was used for species of larval eel
s, called leptocephali, that were thought to be new fish species, or whose adult eel species were not known. Leptocephali differ so much in appearance from their adults that the larvae and adults of eels are not easily matched, and when first discovered, leptocephali were thought to be a different type of fishes, but not eels. Because of this, the genus designation of Leptocephalus was used for a while for unidentified leptocephali even after it was known that these were the larvae of eels thus becoming a "wastebasket taxon", but this practice is no longer used. Examples of marine congrid larvae, found in the western Indian Ocean
and the Red Sea
that were named this way are listed below. Only two species (L. bellottii and L. ophichthoides) in two different families are currently treated as having any validity though that of L. bellottii is strongly in doubt.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
that was used for species of larval eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
s, called leptocephali, that were thought to be new fish species, or whose adult eel species were not known. Leptocephali differ so much in appearance from their adults that the larvae and adults of eels are not easily matched, and when first discovered, leptocephali were thought to be a different type of fishes, but not eels. Because of this, the genus designation of Leptocephalus was used for a while for unidentified leptocephali even after it was known that these were the larvae of eels thus becoming a "wastebasket taxon", but this practice is no longer used. Examples of marine congrid larvae, found in the western Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
that were named this way are listed below. Only two species (L. bellottii and L. ophichthoides) in two different families are currently treated as having any validity though that of L. bellottii is strongly in doubt.
Species
- Leptocephalus bellottiiLeptocephalus bellottiiLeptocephalus bellottii is a species of duckbill eel in the family Nettastomatidae. It is the only species left in its genus and is probably not be a valid taxon itself, rather being a junior synonym of Nettastoma melanurum. It is found in the western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea....
D'Ancona, 1928 (probably junior synonym of Nettastoma melanurum, family NettastomatidaeNettastomatidaeThe duckbill eels or witch eels are a family, Nettastomatidae, of eels. The name is from Greek netta meaning "duck" and stoma meaning "mouth"....
) - Leptocephalus congroides D'Ancona, 1928 (valid as Heteroconger congroides, family CongridaeCongridaeCongridae is the family of conger and garden eels. Congers are valuable and often large food fishes, while garden eels live in colonies, all protruding from the sea floor after the manner of plants in a garden...
) - Leptocephalus ophichthoides D'Ancona, 1928 (family OphichthidaeOphichthidaeOphichthidae is a family of eels, comprising species commonly called worm eels and snake eels. The term "Ophichthidae" comes from Greek ophis and ichthys ....
)