Ammodytes americanus

Family	Scientific Name	Author	Year	Common Name
Ammodytidae	Ammodytes americanus	DeKay	1842	American Sand Lance

Ammodytes americanus

Unique Characters: Size small; body very elongate. Snout long, lower jaw strongly protruding. Single long-based dorsal fin without spines. Anal fin much shorter, about one-half as long as dorsal fin, and below rear part of dorsal fin; lacking anal spines. No pelvic fins. Caudal fin forked. Dorsal fin rays 57-60; anal fin rays 28-31. Number of lateral plicae 106-126, with a mean of 117.4. Vertebrae 62-70. Best separated from Ammodytes dubius by the number of fin rays or plicae singly or in combination with the number of vertebrae.

Similar Species: Northern Sand Lance, Ammodytes dubius. Dorsal fin rays 62-67; anal fin rays 32-35. Vertebrae 68 – 76. Number of lateral plicae 124-147, with a mean of 132.1.

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