Great sandeel (Hyperoplus lanceolatus)

Scientific name: Hyperoplus lanceolatus Le Sauvage, 1824

Great sandeel (Hyperoplus lanceolatus)

The Great sandeel (Hyperoplus lanceolatus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Ammodytidae. Native range: Northeast Atlantic, Murman and Spitzbergen to Portugal, including Iceland and much of the Baltic.

Biology

Inshore, including the inter-tidal zone and estuaries, and offshore to about 60 m depth. Commonly associated with Ammodytes species. Feeds initially on zooplankton, later small fish (clupeids and ammodytids) dominate the diet. Summer batch spawner. Used mainly for fishmeal and oil, but also utilized fresh and pan-fried for human consumption.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Hyperoplus lanceolatus
Family
Ammodytidae (Sand lances)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
40.0
Common length
20.0
Depth range
6–30 m (20–98 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; demersal; oceanodromous; depth range 6 - 30 m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Northeast Atlantic: Murman and Spitzbergen to Portugal, including Iceland and much of the Baltic.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; bait: occasionally
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=2; Fec=35,000)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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