Higher Classification: > Kingdom Animalia > Subkingdom Eumetazoa > Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrata > Infraphylum Gnathostomata > Parvphylum Osteichthyes > Gigaclass Actinopterygii > Subclass Neopterygii > Class Teleostei > Order Perciformes > Suborder Uranoscopoidei > Family Ammodytidae > Genus Ammodytes

Ammodytes tobianus Linnaeus, 1758

Rank: Species
Taxon Status: accepted

Relationships towards this taxon

Genus group names

*Ammodytes*	Linnaeus, 1758	accepted genus name

Species group names

*Ammodytes lancea*	Cuvier, 1829	synonym

Vernaculars (+) (-)

Basque: abiosi sources: Club d'immersió Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona

Breton: talareg bihen sources: Cabioch, L. (2008). Personal communication

Catalan: trencavits sources: TermCat, The Center for Terminology.

Danish: kysttobis; tobis sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points;Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 pp.

Dutch: kleine zandspiering; smelt; zandspiering sources: Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 pp.;Hayward, P.; Nelson-Smith, A.; Shields, C. (1999). Gids van kust en strand: flora en fauna [Coast and beach guide: flora and fauna]. Tirion: Baarn, Netherlands. ISBN 90-5210-327-5. 352, ill. pp.

English: gibbin; lesser sand eel; lesser sand-eel; riggle; sandeel; sand-eel; sand-lance; small sandeel sources: Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 pp.;Hayward, P.J. & J.S. Ryland (Eds.). (1990). The marine fauna of the British Isles and North-West Europe: 1. Introduction and protozoans to arthropods. Clarendon Press: Oxford, UK. 627 pp.;PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points;Nijssen, H.; de Groot, S.J. (1987). De vissen van Nederland: systematische indeling, historisch overzicht, het ontstaan van de viskweek, uitheemse vissoorten, determineersleutels, beschrijvingen, afbeeldingen, literatuur, van alle in Nederlandse wateren voor komende zee- en zoetwatervissoorten [Fishes of the Netherlands: systematic classification, historical overview, origins of fish culture, non-indigenous species, determination keys, descriptions, drawings, literature references on all marine and freshwater fish species living in Dutch waters]. KNNV Uitgeverij: Utrecht, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-5011-006-1. 224 pp.;VLIZ. (2016). Wetenschappelijke en handelsbenamingen voor visserij- en aquacultuurproducten op de Belgische markt. VLIZ Beleidsinformerende Nota's, BIN 2016_001. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Oostende. 28 + Annex. pp.

Estonian: väike tobias sources: Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2025). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (06/2024).

Faroese: nebbasild sources: Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2025). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (06/2024).

Finnish: pikkutuulenkala sources: Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 pp.

French: amille; equille; équille; esquille; lançon; petit lançon sources: Muller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France. 307 pp.;Nijssen, H.; de Groot, S.J. (1987). De vissen van Nederland: systematische indeling, historisch overzicht, het ontstaan van de viskweek, uitheemse vissoorten, determineersleutels, beschrijvingen, afbeeldingen, literatuur, van alle in Nederlandse wateren voor komende zee- en zoetwatervissoorten [Fishes of the Netherlands: systematic classification, historical overview, origins of fish culture, non-indigenous species, determination keys, descriptions, drawings, literature references on all marine and freshwater fish species living in Dutch waters]. KNNV Uitgeverij: Utrecht, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-5011-006-1. 224 pp.;Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 pp.;Quéro J.C., 1984 - Les poissons de mer des pêches françaises - J. Grancher ed, 394 p

German: kleiner Sandaal; Sandaal; Sandspierling; Tobiasfisch sources: Nijssen, H.; de Groot, S.J. (1987). De vissen van Nederland: systematische indeling, historisch overzicht, het ontstaan van de viskweek, uitheemse vissoorten, determineersleutels, beschrijvingen, afbeeldingen, literatuur, van alle in Nederlandse wateren voor komende zee- en zoetwatervissoorten [Fishes of the Netherlands: systematic classification, historical overview, origins of fish culture, non-indigenous species, determination keys, descriptions, drawings, literature references on all marine and freshwater fish species living in Dutch waters]. KNNV Uitgeverij: Utrecht, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-5011-006-1. 224 pp.;Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 pp.;Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2025). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (06/2024).

Icelandic: sandsíli sources: Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 pp.

Latvian: tubite sources: Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2025). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (06/2024).

Lithuanian: mažasis tobis sources: Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2025). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (06/2024).

Norwegian: småsil sources: Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 pp.

Norwegian Bokmål: småsil sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points

Norwegian Nynorsk: småsil sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points

Polish: dobijak; tobiasz sources: Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 pp.;PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points

Russian: peschanka sources: Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 pp.

Scottish Gaelic: corr ghainimh bheag sources: Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2025). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (06/2024).

Spanish, Castillian: aguacioso; barrinaire; lanzón volador sources: TermCat, The Center for Terminology.;Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 pp.

Swedish: kusttobis; sandål; tobis sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points;Davidson, A. (2001). North Atlantic fish cookbook [Noord-Atlantisch viskookboek]. Scepter: Bussum, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-72653-14-9. 556 pp.

Turkish: kum balığı sources: Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2025). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (06/2024).

Welsh: llymrïen

Literature

original description	Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places.]. Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. 1(10) [iii], 824 p.
basis of record	van der Land, J.; Costello, M.J.; Zavodnik, D.; Santos, R.S.; Porteiro, F.M.; Bailly, N.; Eschmeyer, W.N.; Froese, R. (2001). Pisces, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 357-374
additional source	Fricke, R., Eschmeyer, W. N. & Van der Laan, R. (eds). (2025). ECoF. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Genera, Species, References. California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco. Electronic version accessed dd mmm 2025.
additional source	Muller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France. 307 pp.
additional source	Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2025). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (06/2024).
ecology source	Looby, A.; Erbe, C.; Bravo, S.; Cox, K.; Davies, H. L.; Di Iorio, L.; Jézéquel, Y.; Juanes, F.; Martin, C. W.; Mooney, T. A.; Radford, C.; Reynolds, L. K.; Rice, A. N.; Riera, A.; Rountree, R.; Spriel, B.; Stanley, J.; Vela, S.; Parsons, M. J. G. (2023). Global inventory of species categorized by known underwater sonifery. Scientific Data. 10(1).

Genbank

External Links

FishBase images (Ammodytes tobianus, UK Scotland, by Meyer, T.)
FishBase
Marine Life Information Network - UK

Citation

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2025). FishBase. Ammodytes tobianus Linnaeus, 1758. Via: Costello, M.J.; Bouchet, P.; Boxshall, G.; Arvantidis, C.; Appeltans, W. (2011) European Register of Marine Species, Accessed through PESI at http://www.eu-nomen.eu/portal/taxon.php?GUID=urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:126752