Cape Hatteras 



Diamonci/shoaU 

 / 

 / 

 / 



CAROLINIAN /^ 



Raleigh Bay^^ / 



/ 

 / 

 / 



Cape Lookout/ 



/ 4- 



.S 



Lookout Shoals / 

 / 

 / 



-> 



/ 



KM. 50 



78° 



76" 



75"W 



FiGiTBE 1. — Map of the North Carolina coast showing relation of the three major biotic provinces (Virginian, Caro- 

 linian, and Caribbean) to Cape Hatteras and the Continental Shelf. The heavy broken lines indicate the 

 approximate boundaries between the provinces. 



more than one species, three contain the four most 

 common species. These are, in order of abundance : 

 Astropecten artlcufatus, Ltiidia clafhrata, Astro- 

 pecten amevicamis^ and Asterias foriesii. Tlie first 

 two occur in large numbers on level bottoms in 10 

 to 100 m. in Raleigh Bay and Onslow Bay, and 

 commonly api)ear together in trawls of shrimp and 

 scallop fishermen. Their numbers diminish north 

 of Cape Hatteras and nearer the edge of the shelf. 



Astropecten americanus, on the other hand, is 

 abundant north of Cape Hatteras but is rare south 

 of the cape. Aisterias forhes/'i. a shallow-water .spe- 

 cies, is the only sea-star that lives permanently 

 within the estuaries. At times it is very abundant 

 on the jetties. Astropecten artieuJatu-s and L. cJath- 

 rata are sometimes discarded in the estuaries by 

 shrimp fisliermen when they clean their nets and 

 boats, but these species seem to be unable to sur\i\'e 



130 



U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



