Common Name
Northern Sand Lance
Year Described
Reinhardt, 1837
Identification
Dorsal Fin: 56-67 (mean ~62)
Anal Fin: 28-35 (mean ~31)
Pectoral Fin: 12-16 (mean ~14)
Gill Rakers: 23-31 (mean ~27) on first arch
Vertebrae: 68-76 (mean ~71)
Lateral Plicae: 124-147 (mean ~131)
Color
Brilliant silvery, darker blue-black above.
Size
Maximum size to 25cm SL.
Habitat
An more offshore species found from 7-80m. Occasionally found inshore, but more common offshore.
Range
Northwestern Atlantic: S. Greenland to off North Carolina.
References
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2012. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version, (08/2012).
Nizinski, M.S. , Collette, B.B., and B.B. Washington. 1990. Separation of two species of sand lances, Ammodytes americanus and A. dubius, in the western north Atlantic. United States Fish and Wildlife Service Fishery Bulletin v. 88 (no. 2): 241-255.
Other Notes
Meristic values (plicae, dorsal rays, and vertebrae) are higher in the northern parts of the range than in the south. The variation is clinal and is indicative of a single variable offshore species, Ammodytes dubius. These three meristic characters are quite effective in separating A. dubius and A. americanus(Nizinski et al., 1990).
Ammodytes hexapterus, is listed on Fishbase (Froese, 2012) as living in the W. Atlantic but is only found in the North Pacific.