Lesser weever
Otolith description
The general shape of the otolith is ovally pointed. The sulcus runs slightly diagonally over almost the total length of the otolith and is not quite straight, but sinus-waved. The sulcus is open at the ostium. Ostium and cauda are not clearly separated. The cauda runs dorsal from the ostium. The surface of the inside and outside is smooth, but the otolith has a rough texture. The margins are smooth. The anterior and posterior margins are pointed. The rostrum is small and pointed. The antirostrum is indistinct. The inside is convex and the outside concave. The otolith is thick. Otoliths do not exceed 7 mm in length.
The general shape and less distinct sulcus may give cause to mistake lesser weever otoliths with ammodytidae otoliths. However the sulcus of ammodytidae is much shorter and straight.
When eroded the sulcus becomes indistinct and the anterior and posterior margins are smoothed.
Fish length and distribution
Lesser weever can grow up to 16 cm. Lesser weever is a bottom-living fish (ECHIVIPE.TIF) found in coastal waters, even in the tidal-zone. It burrows in coarse sand and moves with the tide. (Wheeler, 1978, Nijssen and De Groot, 1987, Witte et al., 1991, Muus et al., 1999).
Lesser weever is commonly found in the coastal waters of the Eastern Atlantic and North Sea.
Sample origin
Southern North Sea.