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🌊 Marine Data Deficient 🌡️ Temperate

Small sandeel

Ammodytes tobianus Linnaeus, 1758
Max Length
20 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
7 yrs
Trophic Level
3.1
Depth
1–96 m
Climate
Temperate
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
23.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Territorial; found in inshore waters, especially sandy bays and beaches, including the inter-tidal zone and estuaries; rarely offshore. Alternate between lying buried in the sandy substrate and swimming in schools in the water mass. Adults feed on zooplankton and some large diatoms . They hibernate in winter buried in sand at depths of 20-50 cm .

Scientific Name
Ammodytes tobianus
Authority
Linnaeus, 1758
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Temperate
Body Shape
Elongated
IUCN Status
DD
Max Length
20 cm
Lifespan
7 years
Depth Range
1–96 m
Trophic Level
3.1
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
23.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 49 - 58; Anal soft rays: 24 - 32; Vertebrae: 60 - 68. Scales present in the midline anterior to dorsal fin and over the musculature at base of caudal fin. Belly scales in tight chevron. Margins of dorsal and anal fins straight with rays of equal length. Lateral line pores linearly arranged along the un branched canals. Back typically sandy brown.: elongated; Cross section: circular.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Small sandeel is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Small sandeel is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Size at Maturity
13cm TL

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 1 - 96 m . Temperate; 72°N - 36°N, 23°W - 42°E Northeast Atlantic: Murmansk to Spain, including Iceland and the Baltic (Ref.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌿 Brackish ⬇️ Benthic
Trophic Level
3.1±0.1
🐠 Schooling
Food Items

zooplankton and some large diatoms (Ref

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00234 × L3.02 (TL)
Max TL
20cm
Dorsal Rays
54
Anal Rays
28
Vertebrae
64

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Data Deficient
Assessment Date
2014

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
23.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.1
Predator
Body Shape
Elongated
Climate Zone
Temperate
Described By
Linnaeus, 1758

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Lesser Sand Lance · Lesser sandeel · Sand Lance · Sand-eel · Sandeel · Small sand-eel, Sand-eel · Small sandeel · Smooth Sand-eel · Smooth Sandeel · gibbin · lesser sand eel · lesser sand-eel · riggle · sand-lance
🌍BRE talareg bihen
🏳️Catalan trencavits
🌍CES smaček písečný
🌍CYM Llymrïaid · llymrïen
🇩🇰Danish Kysttobis · Sandgrævling · tobis
🇩🇪German Kleiner Sandaal · Sandaal · Sandspierling · Tobiasfisch
🌍EST väike tobias
🌍EUS abiosi
🌍FAO nebbasild
🇫🇮Finnish Pikkutuulenkala
🇫🇷French Equille · Lançon équille · amille · esquille · lançon · petit lançon
🌍GLA corr ghainimh bheag
🌍GLE Corr ghainimh bheag/ an corr
🌍ISL Sandsíli · Strandsíli
🌍LAV Tūbīte
🌍LIT mažasis tobis
🇳🇱Dutch Zandspiering · kleine zandspiering · smelt
🌍NNO småsil
🌍NOB småsil
🇳🇴Norwegian Småsil · Tobis · Tobis småsil
🇵🇱Polish Tobiasz · dobijak
🇵🇹Portuguese Galeota-menor
🇷🇺Russian peschanka · Балтийская песчанка · Европейская малопозвонковая песчанка · Малая песчанка · Песчанки
🌍SME návlu
🇪🇸Spanish Aguacioso · Lanzon · barrinaire · lanzón volador
🇸🇪Swedish Kusttobis · sandål · tobis
🌍TUR kum balığı

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Ammodytes lancea Cuvier 1829 Synonym
Ammodytes tobiunus Linnaeus 1758 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 41 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

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