496 



DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN 



The stone crab {Lithodes maja, see Fig. 349) was met with 

 only in the deeper parts where the temperature was lower (^j 

 metres and 96 metres, temperature 7.1' C. and 6.15° C), as in 

 the deep parts of the Norwegian tjords. The whole central 

 portion of the North Sea proved remarkably poor in shrimps 

 (caridids) though the few species present were frequently in 

 considerable numbers.^ 



The ordinary wide-meshed appliances (trawls and dredges) 

 undoubtedly give a good idea of the larger bottom-forms 

 composing the fauna, but are less satisfactory when the fauna 

 consists mainly of small crustaceans, for which we found the 

 young-fish trawl extremely useful, as by its means we secured 



the large numbers of young crangonids already referred to, 

 besides quantities of lower forms of crustaceans, especially 

 amphipods, cumaceans, etc., and larvae of higher crustaceans, 

 particularly hermit crabs. Even these, however, occur locally, 



{E. cranchi and E. tuberosd) were obtained at depths from 47 metres to 86 metres, with 

 temperatures of 8° to 8.4° C. W^e also obtained specimens of the crabs Inachiis dorsettensis 

 and Stenorhynchtis rostraius, and a single specimen of Atelecydus septemdetitattis was taken 

 in the neighbourhood of the Scottish coast in 62 metres at a teinperature of 8.4" C. At one 

 station on the coast of Jutland (32 metres, temperature 10.9° C.) the crab Corjsles cassivelamis 

 was common, but it was quite absent in the central portions. Galathea dispersa and G. inter- 

 media were got at some stations. 



^ We found, for instance, numerous specimens of a little crangoriid {Ckeraphilus nanus) at 

 a depth of 78 metres, temperature 7° C, a number of individuals belonging to a form related to 

 the common shrimp, Crangon alhnanni, and Pandalus anmdicornis. At a station near the 

 Scottish coast, that is to say in the western portion of the North Sea, at a depth of 86 metres, 

 temperature 8.4" C, we found in addition to small specimens of the two last-mentioned forms, 

 of which Crangon was in myriads, several specimens of another shrimp {Hippolyte secitrifrons), 

 which is also met with on the eastern side, but not at corresponding depths in the central 

 portion. 



