sand lance

noun

: any of several small elongate marine bony fishes (genus Ammodytes of the family Ammodytidae) that associate in large schools and remain buried in sandy beaches at ebb tide

called also sand eel, sand launce

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The warmer ocean has probably caused nutrient-rich fish like sand lance and capelin to decline. —Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Dec. 2022

Of particular concern are king salmon and silver salmon, which feed on sand lance, a type of fish known to absorb algal toxins. —Yereth Rosen, Anchorage Daily News, 23 June 2022

The limited sand lance research that exists cannot fully explain Scherer’s experience. —BostonGlobe.com, 26 Sep. 2019

Another worrisome impact of climate change, according to the report, is that warmer waters in the Sound could see small forage fish like young shad, river herring and sand lances leave for colder waters. —Gregory B. Hladky, courant.com, 5 Dec. 2019

On a good night, the four-hour shift that low tide allowed would yield several hundred pounds of sand lances. —BostonGlobe.com, 26 Sep. 2019

Then, one summer about 10 years ago, the sand lances got hard to find. —BostonGlobe.com, 26 Sep. 2019

If the sand lance go away, the chinook will disappear, too. —Katherine Long, The Seattle Times, 16 Sep. 2018

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Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined above