Fish of the Gymnammodytes genus of the Ammodytidae (sand lance or sandlance) family of the Trachiniformes order of the Percomorpha clade of the Acanthopterygii superorder.
(Mediterranean sand eel. Photo by © A.M. Arias. ictioterm.es)
Mediterranean sand eel (Gymnammodytes cicerelus) was first described in 1810 by the American naturalist, zoologist and botanist Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783-1840).
It dwells near a sandy and pebble bottom. It is a schooling species. The maximum recorded length is 17 cm, specimens up to 12.5 cm long are more common. It feeds on zooplankton.
(Mediterranean sand eel. Photo © europeix.cat)
It is a permanent infrequent inhabitant of the Adriatic Sea.
Names of Mediterranean sand eel (Gymnammodytes cicerelus) in other languages as follows:
Λουτσάκι (Ljutsàki) (Greek), Barrinaire (Spanish), Cicirello (Italian), Mittelmeer-Sandaal (German), Galeota-da-areia (Portuguese), Южная песчанка (Juzhnaja peschanka) (Russian), Hujica golica, Hujić (Serbian, Croatian), Kum balığı (Turkish), Cicerelle de Méditerranée (French).