288 



ANNELIDA 



PoDARKE Elilers. Six pairs of long cirri on the perislominm and 

 fust two somites : several species. 



P. obscura Verrill (Fig. 458). Color variable, usually brown or 

 blackish, sometimes with transverse bands; length up to 4 cm.; width, 

 including setae, 3 mm.: Gulf of Mexico to Cape Cod; on eel grass and 

 under stones; abundant. 



Family 5. NEEEIDAE. (Fig. 459.) 



,^.3 



Fig. 459-^nead of a 

 nereid. 1, prostomium ; 

 2, tentacles ; 8, palp ; 4, 

 peristoniial cirri; 5, 

 I)eristomium. 



Elongated polychtets with 2 small tentacles, 2 palps, 4 eyes on 

 the prostomium, and 4 pairs of peristomial cirri; proboscis with 2 

 large jaws; parapodia well developed: several 

 genera. 



Nereis L. Clam worms. Body elongate and 

 flattened; in some species during the sexual 

 period the hinder part (epitoke) of the animal 

 with the sexual products differs from the forward 

 part (atoke) in appearance and the animal is 

 called a heteronereis : numerous species, 7 in the 

 Woods Hole region. 

 N. virens Sars. Large worms, flesh-colored, with a 

 greenish sheen; jaws black; dorsal division of notopo- 

 dium foliaceous; length up to 30 cm. or more; width 

 1 cm.: common from Long Island Sound to Labrador, 

 buried in the sand near the low- water mark; breeding 

 season spring; Europe. 



N. limbata Ehlers (Fig. 460). Color brownish; 

 jaws light amber-colored; dorsal division of notopodium 

 foliaceous; length up to 15 cm.: Maine to South 

 Carolina; in the sand from high-water mark to 5 fath- 

 oms; abundant south of Cape Cod. 



N. pelagica L. Color reddish-brown; body widest 

 in the middle; dorsal division of notopodium conical; 

 length up to 20 em.; width 8 mm.: Virginia to Green- 



land; on hard bottoms from low- water mark to 100 



Fig. 460 



Nereis limhata — 



anterior end 



with extended 



proboscis 



(Verrill). 



1, proboscis 



2, jaws. 



fathoms; Europe; North Pacific. 



N. limnicola-'' Johnston. Color reddish-brown; length 47 mm.; 

 width 3 mm.; eyes large and conspicuous: in fine sand in Lake Merced 

 (fresh water) near San Francisco. 



* See "Fresh-water Nereids from the Pacific Coast and Hawaii," etc., by H. P. 

 Johnston, Mark Ann. Vol., p. 205, 1903. 



