67. 



Hyalinoeaia artifex. The deeper fauna is dominated by the 

 red crab Geryon quinquedene and two types of demersal fish, 

 the eel Synaphobranohus kaupi and rattails. Below 1700 

 meters the brittle star Ophiomusium lyman-i predominates. 



5. The mid-water depths (400-1100 m) in Lydonia and 

 Oceanographer Canyons have a more variable fauna. They both 

 support large populations of shrimp and filter-feeders, 

 namely corals and sponges. This attests to the environmental 

 heterogeneity of these canyons. It also supports the hypo- 

 thesis that canyons are areas of nutrient enrichment. 



6. Community analysis indicates that the majority of 

 the dominant faunal constituents of canyon assemblages are 

 independently distributed. This implies that the environ- 

 mental factors controlling each species are different. 



7. The results of this study agree with and amplify on 

 the findings of the historical survey. Canyon habitats are 

 unique and support a large variety of fauna. However, 

 accurate assessment of the environmental impact of resource 

 development would at this point be premature. Needed for 

 this are correlative fine scale studies of the interaction 

 between the biological, physical and chemical processes of 

 the continental margin. 



