Lesser Sandeel (Ammodytes marinus)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Vertebrate > bony fish (Actinopterygii) > Fish |
| Red List Status: | (Not Relevant) [(not listed)(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | Raitt's Sand-eel |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Ammodytes marinus |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | Raitt, 1934 |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | (not listed) |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Research required to identify current status |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Research required to identify current status |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | This species would not benefit from untargeted management |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 1. Taxonomy established |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Unknown |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Investigate the impact of sandeel fishing ban in the North Sea on stock status to determine impact of spatial management and to use as a case study for further spatial management measures to support fish stock recovery.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Targeted monitoring
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: 1 site
High priority sites: North Sea
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Undertake comprehensive ichthyofaunal surveys of sandbank habitats to understand better the utilisation of such habitats by sandeels as areas of sandbank are not often comprehensively surveyed in existing field investigations.
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Targeted monitoring
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites:
Comments:
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Secure high resolution data to accurately determine further spawning grounds in England
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Targeted monitoring
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites:
Comments:
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.