▁the ▁less er ▁sand ▁e el ▁because ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁its ▁long ▁d ors al ▁fin ▁is ▁located ▁behind ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁the ▁p ector al ▁fin . ▁Cor bin ' s ▁sand ▁e el ▁( Hy per oplus ▁imm ac ul atus ) ▁is ▁very ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁greater ▁sand ▁e el ▁in ▁the ▁way ▁that ▁it ▁la cks ▁a ▁pro tr us ible ▁upper ▁j aw ▁and ▁its ▁similar ▁size . ▁However , ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁distinguished ▁by ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁the ▁black ▁spot ▁on ▁the ▁sn out , ▁but ▁it ▁does ▁have ▁a ▁black ▁ch in . ▁Its ▁d ors al ▁fin ▁has ▁ 5 9 ▁to ▁ 6 2 ▁ray s . ▁The ▁overall ▁color ▁is ▁dark er ▁than ▁the ▁other ▁sand ▁e els , ▁it ▁is ▁found ▁off sh ore , ▁and ▁tends ▁to ▁be ▁found ▁more ▁on ▁the ▁western ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁ ▁Bi ology ▁Bre eding ▁occurs ▁between ▁March ▁and ▁August . ▁It ▁fe eds ▁on ▁pl ank ton , ▁fish ▁lar va e , ▁and ▁a ▁vast ▁range ▁of ▁cr ust ace ans . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁and ▁habitat ▁The ▁great ▁sand ▁e el ▁is ▁native ▁to ▁the ▁eastern ▁North ▁Atlantic ▁from ▁Mur m ansk ▁( 7 0 ° N ) ▁and ▁Sp itz ber gen ▁( 7 5 ° N ) ▁south wards ▁to ▁Portugal ▁( 3 8 ° N ) ▁including ▁I cel and ▁and ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁Sea . ▁It ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁recorded ▁from ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea ▁or