Scientific name: Ammodytes tobianus (Common/Lesser Sandeel)
Habitat: Demersal Main role: Prey Trophic level: 3 – 3,5
IUCN Red List Assessment: Data Deficient
Diet: Their diet is dominated by zooplankton, but includes polychaetes, meiofauna, and other small benthos. Because of their diet and the fact that they are eaten by larger marine predators, sandeels represent an important link between the lower and upper levels of the marine food web.
Threats: Sandeels are commercially interesting for various purposes, including use as bait and for aquaculture. They are caught in large quantities by specialized industrial fisheries. Despite being highly managed, the majority of sandeel stock have experienced severe declines. This is caused by a combination of overfishing and the effects of climate change.
There are two dominant species of Sandeel in the North Sea: the Common Sandeel (Ammodytes tobianus) and the Greater Sandeel (Hyperoplus lanceolatus). Both are small, slender fish that primarily inhabit sandy or muddy substrates along coastal areas. They are known for their ability to burrow into the sand to avoid predators. In the North Sea, Sandeels are highly nutritious and are therefore preferred prey for many other species of fish, seabirds, seals, whales and dolphins. Additionally, they hold economic significance in the North Sea region, being commercially targeted for various purposes, including use as bait in fishing and for human consumption.
The data layer "Sandeel" in the North Sea Edition of the MSP Challenge also includes Sprat. In the North Sea, "Sandeel" feeds on Benthic Invertebrates and is prey for primarily Demersal Fish, Mackerel, Seabirds, Seals, Cataceans, Flatfish and Cod. They avoid Noise, Bottom Disturbance and Surface Disturbance. They are caught through Industiral & Pelagic Trawl fishing.
The layer "Sandeel" includes both Sandeel and Sprat for the MSP Challenge North Sea Edition. Sandeel is a month-by-month, computer generated data layer following calculations made by the ecosystem simulation (EwE). For more information on how Ecopath-with-Ecosim (EwE) works, please visit our Wiki page or visit the official EwE website at https://ecopath.org.
For detailed information on how the simulation works for the North Sea Edition, we recommend further exploring our research publication called "Combining ecosystem modeling with serious gaming in support of transboundary maritime spatial planning".
Not applicable. This layer is not yet available in the MSP Challenge Baltic Sea Edition.
There are 5 species of Sandeel found around in Scottish seas, including the Clyde Marine Region. The two most common species are Raitt's Sandeel (Ammodytes marinus) and the Lesser Sandeel (Ammodytes tobianus). Both are small, slender fish that primarily inhabit sandy or muddy substrates along coastal areas. They are known for their ability to burrow into the sand to avoid predators. They feed primarily on plankton of variable size, ranging from small plankton eggs up to larger energy rich copepods found in great abundance in Scotland's seas. They are a primary prey for various species of seabirds, and larger fish and are essential food for marine mammals.
In the Clyde Marine Region, Sandeel is prey for primairly Seals, but also for Cod, Whitting, Cataceans, Birds, Sharks and Rays and Skates. Sandeel avoid Noise.
Sandeel is a month-by-month, computer generated data layer following calculations made by the ecosystem simulation (EwE). For more information on how Ecopath-with-Ecosim (EwE) works, please visit our Wiki page or visit the official EwE website at https://ecopath.org.
For detailed information on how the simulation works for the Clyde Marine Region Edition, we recommend further exploring our research publication called "Combining ecosystem modeling with serious gaming in support of transboundary maritime spatial planning".
Not applicable. This layer is not yet available in the MSP Challenge Adriatic Sea Edition.
Not applicable. This layer is not yet available in the MSP Challenge Eastern Mediterranean Sea Edition.
Co-funded by the European Union.