Anguilliformes Guide

: Many species lack scales entirely; if present, they are deeply embedded in the skin. Diversity and Habitat

Anguilliformes is the taxonomic order of , a group of ray-finned fishes containing approximately 1,000 species across 20 families. They are defined by their elongated, cylindrical bodies and a unique life cycle involving a transparent, leaf-like larval stage called a leptocephalus . Key Biological Features anguilliformes

: True eels are distinguished by the fusion of rostral bones into a single complex and the lack of a pelvic girdle. : Many species lack scales entirely; if present,