(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species lance, sand
Species Id M010018
Date 27 AUG 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - lance, sand
OTHER COMMON NAMES - sand eel, sand launce, lance, sand lance, lant, American sand lance and equille
ELEMENT CODE -
CATEGORY - Fish
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - ,
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - Osteichthyes,
ORDER AND SUBORDER - Perciformes,
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - Ammodytidae,
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - Ammodytes,
SPECIES AND SSP - americanus,
SCIENTIFIC NAME - Ammodytes americanus
AUTHORITY - Dekay
TAXONOMY REFERENCES - 35 and 190
COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
Other common names.....Sand eel, sand launce, lant, lance, equille, northern
sand lance (A. dubius), American sand lance (A. americanus).*35*
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species lance, sand
Species Id M010018
Date 27 AUG 96
STATUS
Coded Status
Commercial
Commercial/bait
See Comments
REFERENCES FOR STATUS - 35
COMMENTS ON STATUS -
Sand lance are widespread along the northeast coast of the U.S. (Sherman et
al. 1981; Morse 1982). They are abundant and are an important prey species
for many predatory fishes important to commercial and recreational fisheries
and are also important prey for marine mammals. Sand lance occur in
estuarine, open coastal, and offshore habitats. Contiguous overlapping
populations provide linkages between these habitat types and coastal
regions.*35*
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Distribution
Species lance, sand
Species Id M010018
Date 27 AUG 96
DISTRIBUTION
Distribution - 1 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
HABITAT - AQUATIC
REFERENCES FOR HABITAT - 35
NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY CODES
NWI NWICLS NWIMOD NWISPEC
Marine FL2 L
Estuarine FL2 L
Marine UB1 L
Estuarine UB1 L
Marine FL2 L
Estuarine FL2 L
Marine UB1 L
Estuarine UB1 L
Estuarine FL2 L
Marine FL2 L
Marine FL2 L
Estuarine FL2 L
Marine FL2 L
Estuarine FL2 L
REFERENCES FOR NWI - 35
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species lance, sand
Species Id M010018
Date 27 AUG 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
OMNIVORE
REFERENCES FOR TROPHIC LEVEL - 35
LIFESTAGE FOOD FOOD PART
General Microorganisms See Comments
General Phytoplankton Not Applicable
General Copepods Larva stage
General Copepods Adult stage
REFERENCES FOR GENERAL FOOD - 35
COMMENTS ON FOOD -
Sand lance larvae feed diurnally. Their diet consists of phytoplankton,
invertebrate eggs, and copepod nauplii. As the fish increases in size,
phytoplankton such as peridinians decrease in importance and copepod nauplii
increase. When larvae become about 21 mm long, their diet consists mostly
of adult copepods.*35*
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species lance, sand
Species Id M010018
Date 27 AUG 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
E Water Temperature: Specified in Comments
L Water Temperature: Specified in Comments
L Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Sand
G Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Sand
A
J
L
REFERENCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 35
REFERENCES FOR FEEDING ADULT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 35
REFERENCES FOR FEEDING JUVENILE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 35
COMMENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS -
Temperature:
Sand lance occur along the North American coast from 35 degrees N to 69
degrees N. Temperatures within this latitudinal range vary widely. During
the time of egg development, bottom water temperatures can be near 0
degrees C. It was reported that sand lance were taken from the Nova
Scotia banks at temperatures ranging from -2 to 11 degrees C, but were most
abundant between 3 and 6 degrees C. No records of an upper temperature
limit have been published.
Salinity:
Tolerance of fluctuations in salinity apparently decreases with increasing
age. Sand lance larvae have been found in waters with salinities less than
1.8 ppt although only a small percentage were taken in samples at
salinities less than 30 ppt.*35*
COMMENTS ON RESTING ADULT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ -
Sand lance adults occur in salinities ranging from 26 to 36 ppt.*35*
COMMENTS ON RESTING JUVENILE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ -
It was reported that juvenile sand lace occur in salinities ranging from 26
to 36 ppt.*35*
COMMENTS ON EGG ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ -
Eggs hatch from November to May when water temperatures drop below 9
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species lance, sand
Species Id M010018
Date 27 AUG 96
degrees C (Wheatland 1956; Norcross et al. 1961; Richards and Kendall
1973). Incubation times of eggs spawned in the laboratory ranged from 30
days at 10 degrees C to 82 days at 2 degrees C (Smigielski et al.
1984).*35*
Environment Associations - 2 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species lance, sand
Species Id M010018
Date 27 AUG 96
LIFE HISTORY
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
Meristic values of sand lance vary greatly with latitude as well as with
distance from shore at the same latitude. Studies have demonstrated
various types of spatial changes in the genus Ammodytes from the
northwest Atlantic and distinguished groups with high, intermediate, and
low meristic counts. The intermediate group was split, and fish with high
to intermediate counts were named A. dubius and those with low to
intermediate counts were named A. hexapterus (= A. americanus). The range
of meristic characteristics and overlap between species of this genus over a
wide geographic area were significant. As a result of this
variation, sand lance in the North Atlantic area off the coast of the U.S.
(Ammodytes spp.) will be covered as a combined group in this profile.*35*
REPRODUCTION:
Sand lance mature during their first or second year and males reach maturity
several months before females.
Spawning occurs principally from November to March. Larval fish survey data
indicate that spawning occurs principally inshore, although evidence exists
of some offshore spawning activity.
Sand lance lay demersal eggs that are deposited on or in sand substrates
or on gravel surfaces.
Sand lance larvae are distributed over a wide area of the shelf in winter.
*35*
BEHAVIOR:
Larvae, after a planktonic stage of 2 to 3 months, during which they grow to
about 35 mm, become semidemersal. Larvae reared in captivity at 7
degrees C exhibited schooling behavior at a size of 35 to 40 mm 90 days
after hatching, and first burrowed into the sand at 133 days after attaining
a size of 35 to 40 mm. *35*
The occurrence of heterotypic schools of sand lance and herring (Clupea
harengus harengus) postlarvae were reported. The ubiquity of this behavior
is unhnown. Heterotypic schooling has been reported in several diverse
species groups. This behavior is believed to be an adaptive response to
predation: increased school size reduces the probability of predation on any
individual.*35*
Juvenile and adult sand lance have generally been found in schools during
the day. School sizes ranging from 20 individuals to tens of thousands of
fish have been reported. In general, school size seems to smaller in shoaler
water, increasing as water depth increases. However, schools may occur at
any depth in the water column.*35*
Sand lance are generally found over sandy substrates. Sand is used as a
refuge. Individual fish have been observed to burrow in to the sand and
remain either partly buried (with either anterior or posterior body parts
exposed) or totally buried after emerging headfirst and then backing up.
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species lance, sand
Species Id M010018
Date 27 AUG 96
European sand lance species are reported to school diurnally
and seek refuge in sand substrates at night. Schools reform at
dawn.
Copepods are the major prey of juvenile and adult sand lance. The
inclusion of less important prey items such as crustacean larvae and
chaetognaths in the sand lance diet probably reflects the utilization of
locally abundant prey.*35*
Growth Characteristics:
It was reported that 1 to 3 year old fish dominate sand lance
populations, but individuals can live to 9 years of age and grow to a total
length of 37 cm. Comparison of length-at-age data suggests that growth rate
increases from the New York Bight to the Nova Scotia banks. Growth is
fastest during the first year of life and slows with increasing age.*35*
Limiting factors:
Salinity: Tolerance of fluctuations in salinity apparently decreases with
increasing age. Sand lance larvae have been found in waters with salinities
less than 1.8 ppt, although only a small percentage were taken in samples at
salinities less than 30 ppt.
Sand lance juveniles and adults were found to occur in salinites ranging
from 26 to 36 ppt.*35*
Habitat. The sand lance burrows for rest and escape from predators; hence
much time may be spent within the (sandy) substrate, isolated from the water
column. Relatively high bottom current velocities must therefore be present
to maintain aeration of the interstitial water. The interaction of current
velocity with substrate type in keeping interstitial water oxygenated is
more critical in defining proper habitat than is the range of substrate
particle sizes.*35*
Other Miscellaneous Life History Information:
European studies have reported on the light-mediated diel cycle of activity
in other sand lance species. Direct underwater observations showed
that sand lance (H. lanceolatus and A. tobianus) are diurnal
schoolers, resting in the sand in groups at night. At dawn, schools
re-form and begin feeding. In laboratory studies of A. marinus, swimming
activity was high at light levels of 1000 and 100 lux but was greatly
reduced at levels below 10 lux. In the same study, it was found
that the threshold light intensity for swimming activity in the field
was approximately 100 lux, and that buried sand lance may be able to detect
light, via the pineal gland, to respond to changes in light intensity.*35*
REFERENCES FOR LIFE HISTORY- 35
Life History - 2 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species lance, sand
Species Id M010018
Date 27 AUG 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Existing Other management practices [specified in comments]
REFERENCES FOR EXISTING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - 35
COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
The use of sand lance in the U.S., limited to occasional use in the
baitfish industry, has not been extensive. Annual landings between 1965 and
1973 ranged from 0 to 75 metric tons (Grosslein and Ararovitz 1982).
Historically, Bigelow and Schroeder (1953) reported that more than 30 metric
tons (67,800 pounds) were landed in 1919 and over 9 metric tons (20,000
pounds) in 1946, from traps in Massachusetts. National Marine Fisheries
Service survey data indicate that the sand lance population in the northwest
Atlantic increased greatly after 1974 (Grosslein et al. 1980; Sherman et al.
1981). No plans now exist for the management of sand lance in U.S. waters
of the northwest Atlantic.*35*
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species lance, sand
Species Id M010018
Date 27 AUG 96
References
35* Auster, P., L. Stewart. 1986. Species Profiles: Life Histories
and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and
Invertebrates (North Atlantic)--Sand Lance. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Biol. Rep. 82(11.66) pp 11.
190 * Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A.
Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1980. A list of common and
scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.
American Fisheries Society, Special Publ. No. 12, 4th edition
References - 1