Ammodytes
/ˌæməˈdaɪtiːz/noun
A genus of fish, especially sand eels, that live in sandy coastal waters.
Did you know?Ammodytes comes from Greek roots meaning “sand” and “diver,” a name that captures how these fish bury themselves in sand so completely they seem to disappear.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ammōdýtēs (ἀμμωδύτης)
“a sand-dwelling or sand-diving creature”
Late Latin
Latin
ammodytēs
“borrowed zoological term for a sand-dwelling creature”
16th–18th Century
New Latin
Ammodytes
“scientific genus name applied to sand eels”
Modern English
English
ammodytes
“a genus of slender marine fish that burrow into sand”