Family Ammodytidae

by. Nolvyhindarto,S.Si_Encartablog_Animals

Sand Lances

Selected Characters: Body elongate; lower jaw projecting beyond upper jaw; caudal fin forked; pelvic fins absent; lateral line high on body.

Ammodytids are found in cold to tropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic and Indian oceans. There are about 18 species, but the Pacific Sand Lance is the only one found in our area. It grows to 20 cm long in our area but reaches 26 cm in the Bering Sea. This species has highly variable habits: it may be found inshore or offshore, in large schools near the surface or buried in sand. It feeds on a variety of tiny invertebrates. There is no commercial harvest of this small fish, but it has tremendous indirect value as prey of many marine vertebrates including salmon, lingcod, flatfishes, seabirds and seals. The Pacific Sand Lance is common in Puget Sound.

Species

Ammodytes hexapterus Pacific Sand Lance

Retrieved from:” http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/collections/ichthyology”