There are three species of sand eel on the NIPS list, data are lacking but all face similar pressures and are recommended to be included together. They have distinctive elongated silvery bodies with a forked tail.

In brief

• Sand eels are under threat from overfishing which is compounded by additional pressure from climate change.
• Data deficient - current population and true distribution unknown due to lack of data and confusion over identification to species level.
• Scattered records from most coasts of Britain and Ireland where there is suitable habitat.

Species description: This species of sand eel reaches up to 32 cm and has an elongated thin body with a forked tail. The jaw is pointed and there is a dark-coloured spot on each side of the snout. It has a single long dorsal fin, and single anal fin. The back of the fish is a blue-green to blue, and the sides and underside are silver, with an overall silvery appearance. Usually seen swimming in shoals or buried in the sand.

Life cycle: Unknown.

Similar species: Especially easily confused with Hyperoplus immaculatus. Sand eels can be extremely difficult to tell apart, and often cannot be distinguished in the field. Anything under 25 cm is likely one of the lesser sand eel species, while anything over 25 cm will be one of the greater sand eel species.

How to see this species: This species favours clean sandy substrate, down to around 150 m. There are scattered records all around Britain and Ireland where there is suitable habitat.

Current status: Data deficient. Recommended to be included alongside Ammodytes marinus and Ammodytes tobianus as the same threats and pressures will apply. Difficulty identifying sand eels to species level has potentially caused some uncertainty around distribution and population densities.

Why is this species a priority in Northern Ireland?

• Criterion 2: Decline based on available data and expert judgement.

Threats: Overfishing is a threat to the sand eel and in addition climate change is increasingly viewed as an emerging human pressure. There is strong evidence that sand eel stocks are affected by bottom-up processes involving climate and changing plankton stocks. An increase in renewable energy developments also has the potential to affect sand eel numbers in terms of locating wind farm developments in its preferred habitat.

Action: Records of new sites for this species, with details of habitat and population are always valuable. Observations with a photograph can be recorded using iNaturalist, find the MBDP-NI iNaturalist project here.

Alternatively, records can be sent to CEDaR, National Museums Northern Ireland, 153 Bangor Road, Cultra, Holywood, County Down, BT18 0EU. Tel 028 9039 5257, e-mail cedar.records@nationalmuseumsni.org, or via the online portal.

Objectives:

• Choose seafood from sustainable sources, or ideally stop eating seafood altogether.
• Ensure careful placement of any future wind farms or other developments, to avoid disturbance of habitat.
• Assess population and distribution.

Conservation: There has been a full ban on commercial fishing of sand eels in Scottish and English waters of North Sea implemented, however there is currently no specific legal protection for this species in Northern Ireland.

Distribution Map from NBN: Hyperoplus lanceolatus at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Hyperoplus lanceolatus at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Hyperoplus lanceolatus at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Hyperoplus lanceolatus (Le Sauvage, 1824). AphiaID: 126756.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Chordata; Vertebrata; Gnathostomata; Osteichthyes; Actinopterygii; Actinopteri; Teleostei; Perciformes; Uranoscopoidei; Ammodytidae; Hyperoplus