288 



ANNELIDA 



PODARKE Ehlers. Six pairs of long cirri on the peristomium and 

 first two somites: several species. 



P. obscura Verrill (Fig. 458). Color variable, usually brown or 

 blackish, sometimes with transverse bands; length up to 4 cm.; width, 

 including setae, 3 mm.: Gulf of Mexico to Cape Cod; on eel grass and 

 under stones; abundant. 



FAMILY 5. NEEEIDAE. (Fro. 459.) 



Fig. 459 Head of a 

 nereid. 1, prostomium ; 

 2, tentacles ; 3, palp ; 4, 

 peristomial cirri ; 5, 

 peristomium. 



Elongated polychaets with 2 small tentacles, 2 palps, 4 eyes on 

 the prostomium, and 4 pairs of peristomial cirri; proboscis with 2 

 large jaws: parapodia well developed: several 

 genera. 



NEREIS L. Clam worms. Body elongate and 

 flattened; in some species during the sexual 

 period the hinder part (epitoke) of the animal 

 with the sexual products differs from the forward 

 part (atoke) in appearance and the animal is 

 called a heteronereis : numerous species, 7 in the 

 Woods Hole region. 



N. virens Sars. Large worms, flesh-colored, with a 

 greenish sheen; jaws black; dorsal division of notopo- 

 dium foliaceous; length up to 30 cm. or more; width 

 1 cm. : common from Long Island Sound to Labrador, 

 buried in the sand near the low- water mark; breeding 

 season spring; Europe. 



N. limbata Ehlers (Fig. 460). Color brownish; 

 jaws light amber-colored; dorsal division of notopodium 

 foliaceous ; length up to 15 cm. : Maine to South 

 Carolina; in the sand from high-water mark to 5 fath- 

 oms; abundant south of Cape Cod. 



N. pelagica L. Color reddish-brown; body widest 

 in the middle; dorsal division of notopodium conical; 

 length up to 20 cm.; width 8 mm.: Virginia to Green- 

 land; on hard bottoms from low- water mark to 100 

 fathoms; Europe; North Pacific. 



N. limnicola* Johnston. Color reddish-brown; length 47 mm.; 

 width 3 mm.; eyes large and conspicuous: in fine sand in Lake Merced 

 (fresh water) near San Francisco. 



* See "Fresh-water Nereids from the Pacific Coast and Hawaii," etc., by H, P, 

 Johnston, Mark Ann. Vol., p. 205, 1903. 



Fig. 460 



Nereis limbata 



anterior end 



with extended 



proboscis 



(Verrill). 



1. proboscis 



2, jaws. 



