COMPLETE HARTMAN: POLYCHAETES FROM CALIFORNIA 3 



1960, resulted in the conclusion that the polychaetes are the most abun- 

 dant and prominent of invertebrate animals in nearly all of the benthos of 

 southern California, from Point Conception to south of the Mexican bor- 

 der, in depths of 10 to 300 feet, and into canyon and basin depths. In 

 4000+ measured samples taken throughout this area, the polychaetes were 

 usually the most abundant and the greatest in mass, exceeded in number 

 in some instances only by amphipods and ophiuroid echinoderms, and in 

 mass by an echiuroid worm in one area. The details of these quantitative 

 studies are to be found in separate reports (see Literature Cited), issued 

 by the California State Water Pollution Control Board and the Allan 

 Hancock Foundation. 



The most urgent need for a better knowledge and understanding of 

 the polychaetes of California, as in other geographic areas, is an Atlas of 

 Species, giving acceptable specific names, keys to related species, diagnoses 

 with critical illustrations for each species, more extended geographic 

 distribution, and ecological data. The present study is intended to provide 

 the framework for such an atlas. 



The following list names 56 families and 650 species. About 60 other 

 species, for which tentative determinations have been made, are known to 

 be present in California ; they are chiefly representatives of the families 

 HESIONIDAE, POLYNOIDAE, AMPHARETIDAE, TERE- 

 BELLIDAE, SABELLIDAE and SERPULIDAE. The families with 

 their known numbers of species are: 



Aphroditidae — 10 species 

 Polynoidae — 43 species 

 Polyodontidae — 4 species 

 Sigalionidae — 1 1 species 

 Pareulepidae — 1 species 

 Pisionidae — 1 species 

 Chrysopetalidae — 2 species 

 Amphinomidae — 6 species 

 Euphrosinidae — 8 species 

 Phyllodocidae — 35 species 

 Alciopidae — 4 species 

 Lacydoniidae — 1 species 

 Tomopteridae — 4 species 

 Hesionidae — 6 species 

 Pilargidae — 7 species 

 Syllidae — 39 species 



