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]
| Giant leptocephalus | |
|---|---|
Scientific 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] | |
| |
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
edit- ^ 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- ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Leptocephalus giganteus". FishBase. September 2024 version.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Fricke, R.; Reséndiz-López, M. A. & Oseguera-Rodríguez, A. S. (2024). Fishes and Lampreys of Mexico. An annotated checklist. México: CONABIO.
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