Lesser sand eel
(Ammodytes tobianus)
General data
The lesser sand eel or sand lance (Ammodytes tobianus) is a species of fish in the sand lance family Ammodytidae. It is an elongated cylindrical fish which may be up to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long.
The body of the lesser sand eel has an elongated shape with a rounded cross section. The head is also elongated and pointed, and the sharp prominent lower jaw projects further than the upper jaw. When the mouth is opened, the two jaws form a tube through which food is sucked in. The top of the fishs mouth lacks teeth. The scales of the belly make a chevron pattern. The dorsal fin is long and ribbon-like, the pectoral fins are small and low set, and there are no pelvic fins. The caudal fin is bifurcated in shape.
The skin color is greenish yellow on the back, yellowish on the upper sides, and a mixture of a brilliant silver on the lower sides and belly.
This fish can be distinguished from the greater sand eel by its smaller size (less than 20 cm (8 in)) and the fact that the origin of the long dorsal fin starts approximately in line with the tip of the pectoral fin.
