title: Leptocephalus (genus)
text: # Leptocephalus (genus)
  
  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, 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. 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 erebennus
  
  Leptocephalus inferomaculatus
  
  Leptocephalus nystromi
  
  Leptocephalus trilineatus
  
  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
  
  Leptocephalus 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 ophichthoides
  
  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
  
  