Leptocephalus (genus)
| Leptocephalus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Leptocephalus Conger | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | Anguilliformes
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| Family: | Ophichthidae (one doubtfully valid species in Nettastomatidae)
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| Genus: | Leptocephalus Scopoli (ex Gronow), 1777
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| Species | |
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See text. | |
Leptocephalus is a genus that was used for species of larval eels, 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 distinct type of fishes,[1] 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 families are currently treated as having any validity, though the validity of L. bellottii is strongly in doubt.
Species[]
There are 16 families of leptocephalus organisms that include over 70 species.[2] They will be broken down according to the species that they contain. If the species has a common name or English name, it will be given after a dash. A common name can belong to many species.
Family Anguillidae
Leptocephalus brevirostris – European eel
Leptocephalus grassii – American eel
Family Chlopsidae
Leptocephalus hyoproroides Strömman, 1896 (valid as Kaupichthys hyoproroides)
Family Colocongridae
Leptocephalus giganteus – giant leptocephalus
Family Congridae
Leptocephalus congroides D'Ancona, 1928 (valid as Heteroconger congroides)
Leptocephalus cotroneii D'Ancona, 1928 (valid as Gorgasia cotroneii)
Leptocephalus ectenurus Jordan & Richardson, 1909 (valid as Rhynchoconger ectenurus)
Leptocephalus inferomaculatus
Leptocephalus nystromi
Leptocephalus orbignyanus – Argentine conger
Leptocephalus affinis – bandtooth conger
Leptocephalus eckmani – bandtooth conger
Leptocephalus inornatus – bandtooth conger
Leptocephalus marginatus – bandtooth conger
Leptocephalus microphthalmus – bandtooth conger
Leptocephalus rex – bandtooth conger
Leptocephalus taenia – bandtooth conger
Leptocephalus retrotinctus – blackedge conger
Leptocephalus mauritianum – blunt tooth conger
Leptocephalus wilsoni – cape conger
Leptocephalus candidissimus – European conger
– European conger
Leptocephalus gussoni – European conger
Leptocephalus inaequalis – European conger
Leptocephalus lineatus – European conger
Leptocephalus morrisii – European conger
Leptocephalus pellucidus – European conger
Leptocephalus spallanzani – European conger
Leptocephalus stenops – European conger
Leptocephalus vitreus – European conger
Leptocephalus splendens – purple-mouthed conger (valid as Pseudophichthys splendens)
Leptocephalus capensis – Southern Atlantic conger
Leptocephalus maculatus – spotted garden eel
Leptocephalus scheelei – tropical conger
Family Cyprinidae
Leptocephalus mongolicus – Mongolian redfin
Family Derichthyidae
Leptocephalus ingolfianus – duckbill oceanic eel
Leptocephalus anguilloides – narrownecked oceanic eel
Family Eurypharyngidae
Leptocephalus pseudolatissimus – pelican eel
Family Moringuidae
Leptocephalus diptychus – spaghetti eel (valid as Moringua edwardsi)
Leptocephalus tuberculatus – swollengut worm eel
Family Muraenesocidae
Leptocephalus arabicus (valid as Gavialiceps arabicus)
Family Muraenidae
Leptocephalus euryurus (valid as Anarchias euryurus)
Leptocephalus forsstromi – purplemouth moray eel
Leptocephalus similis – pygmy moray (valid as Anarchias similis)
Family Nemichthyidae
Leptocephalus oxycephalus – avocet snipe eel
Leptocephalus curvirostris – boxer snipe eel
Leptocephalus polymerus – boxer snipe eel
Leptocephalus andreae – slender snipe eel
Leptocephalus canaricus – slender snipe eel
Leptocephalus acuticeps – southern snipe eel
Family Nettastomatidae
Leptocephalus bellottii D'Ancona, 1928 (valid as Nettenchelys bellottii)
Leptocephalus lateromaculatus D'Ancona, 1928 (valid as Saurenchelys lateromaculata)
Leptocephalus saurencheloides
Leptocephalus longirostris – blackfin sorcerer
Leptocephalus urosema – blackfin sorcerer
Leptocephalus oxyrhynchus – Facciola's sorcerer
Leptocephalus stylurus – pillar wire eel
Family Ophichthidae
Leptocephalus echeloides D'Ancona, 1928 (valid as Ophichthus echeloides)
Leptocephalus crenatus – key worm eel
Leptocephalus hexastigma – key worm eel
Leptocephalus humilis – key worm eel
Leptocephalus mucronatus – margined snake eel
Leptocephalus undulatus – sharptail snake-eel (valid as Myrichthys breviceps)
Leptocephalus gilberti – sooty eel
Leptocephalus mollis – speckled worm eel
Leptocephalus caudomaculatus – spotted spoon-nose eel
Family Saccopharyngidae
Leptocephalus latissimus (valid as Saccopharynx ampullaceus)
Family Serrivomeridae
Leptocephalus lanceolatus – Bean's sawtooth eel
Leptocephalus lanceolatoides – short-tooth sawpalate
Family Synaphobranchidae
Leptocephalus dolichorhynchus
Leptocephalus proboscideus
Leptocephalus telescopicus – pignosed arrowtooth eel
References[]
- ^ Miller, Michael J. “Ecology of Anguilliform Leptocephali: Remarkable Transparent Fish Larvae of the Ocean Surface Layer.” Aqua-BioScience Monographs 2 (2009): 1-94. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.
- ^ Species of Leptocephalus Genus Fishbase.org
- Eels
- Obsolete vertebrate taxa