ammodytes

Ammodytes is a genus of small, elongated, burrowing fish in the family Ammodytidae, commonly known as sand lances or sand eels. They inhabit temperate and subarctic coastal waters of the North Atlantic and North Pacific, often on sandy or muddy bottoms along continental shelves and near shores.

Their bodies are slender with a pointed snout and a small mouth, adapted for a life largely spent buried in sand with only the eyes and occasionally the snout exposed. They are capable of rapid, shallow burrowing and can withdraw quickly to avoid predators. Ammodytes species are planktivores, feeding mainly on zooplankton such as copepods and amphipods. They are known for forming dense schools that can rapidly shoal and disperse with changes in light or predator pressure.

Reproduction is generally by external fertilization, with eggs and free-swimming larvae developing in the water column. The larvae are pelagic for a period before migrating into benthic habitats as juveniles. Lifecycle timing and depth can vary by species and geographic region, adapting to local seasonal conditions.

The genus includes several described species, among them Ammodytes tobianus (common sand eel or sand lance) and Ammodytes personatus (mask sand eel). These fishes play an important ecological role as prey for seabirds, larger fish, and marine mammals. Some species are also utilized as bait fish in commercial and sport fisheries, and habitat alteration or fishing pressure can affect their populations.