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Giant leptocephalus

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Giant leptocephalus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Colocongridae
Genus: Coloconger
Species:
C. giganteus
Binomial name
Coloconger giganteus
(Castle, 1959)
Synonyms[1]
  • Ascomana giganteus (Castle, 1959)
  • Leptocepgalus giganteus (Castle, 1959)

The giant leptocephalus (Coloconger giganteus) is a species of eel in the family Notacanthidae (spiny eels).[1] It was first described by Peter Henry John Castle in 1959.[2][a] It is a marine, deep-water dwelling eel which is distributed worldwide.[1]

If it is indeed a leptocephalid, it is probably the larvae of a Notacanthus species, most probably Notacanthus chemnitzii.[3] In 2014 it was confirmed as a species of Coloconger.[4]

Notes

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  1. ^ The eel was once again spotted off the coast of South Africa, apparently, from estimates, an adult would measure a gigantic 21 m (69 ft) long.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Leptocephalus giganteus". FishBase. September 2024 version.
  2. ^ Castle, P. H. J. (July 1959). "A large leptocephalid (Teleostei, Apodes) from off South Westland, New Zealand". Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 87 (pts 1-2): 179–184.
  3. ^ Moser, H.G.; S.R. Charter (1996). "Notacanthidae: spinyeels". In H.G. Moser (ed.). The early stages of fishes in the California Current Region. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) Atlas No. 33. pp. 82–85.
  4. ^ Fricke, R.; Reséndiz-López, M. A. & Oseguera-Rodríguez, A. S. (2024). Fishes and Lampreys of Mexico. An annotated checklist. México: CONABIO. Free access icon