 The overall color is darker than the other sand eels, it is found offshore, and tends to be found more on the western side of the United Kingdom

Breeding occurs between March and August.It feeds on plankton, fish larvae, and a vast range of crustaceans.The great sand eel is native to the eastern North Atlantic from Murmansk (70°N) and Spitzbergen (75°N) southwards to Portugal (38°N) including Iceland and the Baltic Sea.