Composition and Distribution of Macrobenthie Invertebrate Fauna 



131 



Scaphopoda occurred in 218 samples (20% of total). 

 Their density averaged 5.1/m 2 and biomass averaged 

 0.32 g/m- (Table 5). 



Geographic Distribution 



Scaphopods were present in moderately low densities (1 

 to 49 individuals/m ) in large portions of the Nova Scotia 

 and Gulf of Maine regions (Fig. 123). Farther south, with 

 few exceptions, they were present only along the conti- 

 nental slope and the outer portion of the continental 

 shelf. One area of relatively high density (50 to 106 indi- 

 viduals/m 2 ) was encountered in the north central part of 

 the Gulf of Maine. The average biomass of scaphopods 

 was moderately small in all areas, averaging less than 



1 g/ni- in more than 50% of their area of occurrence. 

 Relatively large average biomasses (1 to 6 g/m'-) were 

 common only in the northern part of the study area. 



Within the six standard geographic areas scaphopods 

 were most abundant (10 to 11 individuals/m 2 ) in the 

 Nova Scotia and Gulf of Maine area (Table 6; Fig. 124). 

 On Georges Slope and the Southern New England 

 Slope their density was about 5/m 2 . Lowest densities, 

 approximately 1/m 2 , were found on Georges Bank and 

 the Southern New England Shelf. 



The biomass of scaphopods was largest (0.7 to 1.0 g/m 2 ) 

 in the northern areas, smallest (0.02 to 0.08 g/m 2 ) in 

 the southern areas, and intermediate in intervening 

 areas (Table 8; Fig. 124). 



