A small slender fish that lives buried in sand.

Also called: Pacific Sand Lance, Inland Sand Lance

Native status: Native to North Pacific

§ Quick facts

SizeLength 15–25 cm
Weight10–30 g
LifespanWild 5–7 years
OrderTrachiniformes
FamilyAmmodytidae

§ Encyclopedia

Ammodytes hexapterus, the Pacific sand lance, is a small, planktivorous, saltwater fish found across the North Pacific. This tiny fish is a member of the Ammodytidae family, or sand lances. The name hails from Greek, with ammos meaning "sand" and dytes meaning "liking to immerse in". Like many other sand lances, the Pacific sand lance a benthic fish that immerses itself in the sand.

Source: Wikipedia — Ammodytes hexapterus Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Slender silvery eel-shaped fish; pointed snout; underslung lower jaw; deeply forked tail; small dorsal fin extending most of body length.

Similar species. Other sand lance species. True eels (different shape). Smelts (different fin pattern).

Voice. Silent.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Zooplankton (copepods, krill).

Behavior. Critical forage fish of California Current and North Pacific. Often called "the eel grass of the seabird world" because its abundance defines the fate of seabird colonies. Salmon, marbled murrelets, rhinoceros auklets, sea lions, and humpback whales all heavily depend on sand lance. Lives buried in sandy bottoms during day; emerges in massive schools to feed at dawn and dusk.

§ Range

Pacific Coast

§ Habitat

Sandy coastal areas

§ Threats

Habitat loss.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the pacific sand lance is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Support sandy beach conservation.

Support our work More ways to help

§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • NOAA Fisheries
  • Salish Sea Wiki Forage Fish
  • Long Live the Kings
  • IUCN Red List 2014