Sand-Eels, Abundance, Size, &c. 123 



Our knowledge of their food and spawning in the Thames area 

 is defective. In the west of England their spawning season is 

 June to August, and their eggs are of the adhesive kind, that is 

 demersal.* S and- smelts are of little economic value in our 

 neighbourhood (excepting small ones as whitebait), consequently 

 some fishers use them only for home use, others reject them. 

 On the Channel coast stations they meet a ready sale. 



Fam. Ainmodytidce.^ Our District is credited with two 

 species (1) The GREATER SAXD-EEL (Ammodytes lanceolatus) 

 and (2) The LESSER SAND-EEL (A. tobianus). A.S to No. 1, the 

 larger sort, which grows to a foot long, Dr. Laver mentions it 

 as inhabiting the Essex coast ; but we have not been fortunate 

 in obtaining any, probably by its keeping to deep water. We 

 have been informed, though, by an old fisherman that at one 

 time both the kinds of sand-eels were numerous off the Leigh 

 middle ground. Doubtless the larger form may also be found 

 in places on the Kent coast, but our knowledge thereof is limited. 



Regarding No. 2, preferred by Yarrell to be called the sand- 

 lauiice, this in the summer is very abundant, and in large 

 assemblages, wherever there are sandy bays, or in those parts 

 of the estuaries where brood fish congregate, both in Kent and 

 Essex though it seldom ascends to the limits of brackish water. 

 They head in to the shores in spring, continue thereabouts during 

 summer, but, as winter or cold weather approaches, retire or 

 bore into the sand at least, they are then seldom got. They 

 grow 7 inches long, but 5| inches to 6 inches is the longest we 

 have come across ; indeed, the average length of most has been 

 3^ inches to 4 inches. Occasionally we have noted a few about 

 half that, but have not been favoured with a sight of the eggs 

 diminutive larval and post-larval forms so graphically 

 described by authors In the Thames estuary they are found 



* Holt, Reprod. Teleost, Fish in S.W. Distr., Jour. Mar. Biol. Assoc., April, 1808. 



t Here we follow a recommendation of Boulenger ; the Sand-eels usually coming 

 under Fain. Ophidiidce. 



J Mcliitosh and Masterman, Brit. Mar. Food-Fishes. 



