leptocephalus
[ lep-tuh-sef-uh-luh s ]
/ ˌlɛp təˈsɛf ə ləs /
noun, plural lep·to·ceph·a·li [lep-tuh-sef-uh-lahy] /ˌlɛp təˈsɛf əˌlaɪ/.
a colorless, transparent, flattened larva, especially of certain eels and ocean fishes.
Origin of leptocephalus
From New Latin, dating back to 1760–70; see origin at
lepto-,
-cephalous
Words nearby leptocephalus
leptin,
leptis magna,
lepto,
lepto-,
leptocephalic,
leptocephalus,
leptocephaly,
leptocercal,
leptocyte,
leptocytosis,
leptodactylous
Example sentences from the Web for leptocephalus
Teleostean fishes are generally bony, but the bones are represented by cartilages in Leptocephalus.
British Dictionary definitions for leptocephalus
leptocephalus
/ (ˌlɛptəʊˈsɛfələs) /
noun plural -li (-ˌlaɪ)
the slender transparent oceanic larva of eels of the genus Anguilla that migrates from its hatching ground in the Caribbean to European freshwater habitats