The Blennies: Blenniidz 521 
Sand-lances: Ammodytidea.— Near the Ophidide are placed 
the small family of sand-lances (Ammodytide). This family com- 
prises small, slender, silvery fishes, of both Arctic and tropical 
seas, living along shore and having the habit of burying them- 
selves in the sand under the surf in shallow water. The jaws 
are toothless, the body scarcely scaly and crossed by many cross- 
folds of skin, the many-rayed dorsal fin is without spines, and 
the ventral fins when present are jugular. The species of the 
family are very much alike. From their great abundance they 
have sometimes much value as food, more perhaps as bait, still 
more as food for, salmon and other fishes, from which they 
escape by plunging into the sand. Sometimes a falling tide 
sth Oe a= 
Fic. ro ae eee ene Ammodytes americanus De Kay. Nantucket. 
leaves a sandy beach fairly covered with living ‘‘lants’’ looking 
like a moving foam of silver. Ammodytes tobtanus is the sand- 
lance or lant of northern Europe. Ammodytes americanus, 
scarcely distinguishable, replaces it in America; and Ammodytes 
personatus in California, Alaska, and Japan. This is a most 
excellent pan fish, and the Japanese, who regard little things, 
value it highly. 
In the genus Hyperoplus there is a large tooth on the 
vomer. In the tropical genera there is a much smaller number of 
vertebra and the body is covered with ordinary scales instead 
Fig. 475.—Embolichthys mitsukurit (Jordan & Evermann). Formosa. 
of delicate, oblique cross-folds of skin. These tropical species 
must probably be detached from the Ammodytide to form a 
distinct family, Bleekertide. Bleekeria kallolepis is found in 
India, Bleekeria gilli is from an unknown locality, and the 
most primitive species of sand-lance, Embolichthys mitsukurit, 
