Sand-Eel, Sand-Lance

Family Ammodytidae

• Spanish: Barrinaire
• French: Lançon, Equille
• Dutch: Smelt, Zandspiering
• German: Sandaal, Sandspierling
• Polish: Dobijak
• Russian: Peschanka
• Finnish: Pikkutuulenkala
• Swedish: Tobis, Sandål
• Norwegian: Småsil
• Danish: Tobis
• Icelandic: Sandsíli
• Other: Riggle (Sussex); Gibbin (Isle of Man)

REMARKS Maximum length 20 cm. There are several species of these silvery little fish. Ammodytes tobianus is the common inshore version of European waters: Ammodytes marinus Raitt its offshore counterpart. Most authorities distinguish Ammodytes americanus De Kay as the North American sand-eel, and it is often called, and treated like, whitebait in America.