The smooth sandeel (Gymnammodytes semisquamatus) is a species of sand eel in the family Ammodytidae.[2][3]

Smooth sandeel
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Labriformes
Family: Ammodytidae
Genus: Gymnammodytes
Species:
G. semisquamatus
Binomial name
Gymnammodytes semisquamatus
(Jourdain, 1879)
Synonyms

Ammodytes semisquamatus Jourdain, 1879

Description

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It maximum length is 30 cm (12 in), typical adults measuring 15 cm (5.9 in). It has 53–56 dorsal soft rays and 26–31 anal soft rays. Its palate has no pointed teeth, its lateral line is branched, and only the posterior third of the body is scaly (hence the specific name semisquamatus, "half-scaled").[4] It has 64–72 vertebrae and is golden brown or pink, with a silvery belly.[5] It is also notable for its plectrum-shaped eye.[6]

Distribution and habitat

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It is a demersal fish living in the waters off Great Britain, Ireland and in the North Sea.[7][8] It made its first appearance in the Mediterranean Sea in 1990 off the Spanish coast, where there is now a stable population co-occurring with Gymnammodytes cicerelus.[9]

Behaviour

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The smooth sandeel spawns in summer.[10] It feeds on the plankton.[5]

References

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  • Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Ammodytes semisquamatus". FishBase. June 2021 version.
  1. ^ Bruce Collette (Smithsonian, Usa); Studies), Hank Heessen (IMARES Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem; Paul Fernandes (School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building (March 12, 2014). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Gymnammodytes semisquamatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
  2. ^ Society, Royal Dublin (June 28, 1970). "The Scientific Proceedings of the Royal Dublin Society: Series B." Royal Dublin Society. – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Robards, Martin D.; Or.), Pacific Northwest Research Station (Portland (June 28, 1999). "Sand Lance : a Review of Biology and Predator Relations and Annotated Bibliography". U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "Gymnammodytes semisquamatus, Smooth sandeel : fisheries, bait". www.fishbase.se.
  5. ^ a b "Marine Species Identification Portal : Smooth sand-eel - Gymnammodytes semisquamatus". species-identification.org.
  6. ^ Heessen, Henk J. L.; Daan, Niels; Ellis, Jim R. (September 1, 2015). Fish atlas of the Celtic Sea, North Sea, and Baltic Sea: Based on international research-vessel surveys. Wageningen Academic Publishers. ISBN 9789086868780 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Corbin, P. G. (April 28, 1950). "The Occurrence of the smooth sand-eel, Gymnammodytes Semisquamatus (Jourdain), in the Plymouth area, with notes on G. cicerelus (Rafinesque), and G. capensis (Barnard)". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 29 (1): 83–89. doi:10.1017/S0025315400056216. S2CID 52027588 – via Cambridge University Press.
  8. ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species". www.marinespecies.org.
  9. ^ Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea (Gymnammodytes semisquamatus). 2nd Edition. 2021. 366p. CIESM Publishers, Paris, Monaco.https://ciesm.org/atlas/fishes_2nd_edition/Gymnammodytes_semisquamatus.pdf
  10. ^ "Collected Reprints". The Center. June 28, 1987 – via Google Books.