Composition and Distribution of Macrobenthic Invertebrate Fauna 



137 



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INDIVIDUALS 

 PER SQUARE METER 



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GRAMS 

 PER SQUARE METER 



CEPHALOPODA 



Figure 129 



Geographic distribution of Cephalopoda: A — number of specimens per square meter of 

 bottom; B — biomass in grams per square meter of bottom. 



range groupings (Tables 11, 13;Fig. 131). Highest mean 

 density and biomass ( 1 .5/m 2 and 0.03/m 2 , respectively) 

 occurred in continental shelf depths between 100 and 

 199 m, vhereas at deeper depths, 200-499 m, mean 

 density and biomass were significantly lower (0.1 /m 2 , 

 and <0.01 g/m 2 ). Only 1% of the samples in each depth 

 range grouping contained cephalopods (Table 15). 



Relation to Sediments 



Cephalopods were found only in gravel, sand, and sand- 

 silt sediments. Average density was only <0.1/m 2 in 

 both gravel and sand but was 1.7/m 2 in sand-silt sub- 

 strates; average biomass, although low, increased with 

 decreasing particle size ranging from <0.01 to 0.02 g/m 2 

 (Tables 16, 18; Fig. 132). 



