Description: This species of sand eel reaches up to around 20 cm and has an elongated thin body with a forked tail. The jaw is pointed with the lower jaw longer than the upper resulting in an underbite. The back of the fish is a yellow-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.

Habitat: Over sandy sediment down to around 30 m depth. May bury themselves in the sand in the winter.

Distribution: This is the most common species of sand eel in this region, recorded from most coasts of Britain and Ireland.

Similar Species: Especially easily confused with Ammodytes marinus. 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.

Key Identification Features:

• Long, thin silvery body.
• Usually around 20 cm or less.
• Forked tail.
• Pointed jaw with underbite.

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

iNaturalist: Ammodytes tobianus at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Ammodytes tobianus

WoRMS: Ammodytes tobianus at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Ammodytes tobianus Linnaeus, 1758. AphiaID: 126752.

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