Naked sand darter Naked sand darter The naked sand darter ("Ammocrypta beanii") is a freshwater fish of the family Percidae. It is found in the south-eastern United States. The naked sand darter is a small fish ranging in size from 40 to 50 mm long, the maximum being around 64 mm. Being a long thin darter, it is devoid of scales with the exception of a few rows above and below the lateral line and sometimes the caudal peduncle. Slightly transparent in life with a yellow color and iridescent operculum, the naked sand darter blends in with its habitat. It has darker bands
Blob sculpin flap that covers the gills), the branchiostegal membranes are fused to the isthmus (the fleshy projection separating the gill openings), and there are many small cirri (fleshy threads) scattered over the head and body. The operculum is poorly ossified and is covered by a gelatinous layer. Behind the head, the body tapers rapidly to the caudal peduncle and there is a gelatinous layer between the skin and the muscle. The dorsal fin has eight spines and nineteen to twenty soft rays, and the anal fin has no spines and twelve to fourteen soft rays. The pectoral fins are broad and