POLYCHAETE WORMS, PART 1 15 



1 above and 1 below the upper tuft of protective notosetae, and 1 

 large group between the 2 groups of protective setae on the elytrag- 

 erous segments; the feltage setae extend dorsally forming a tangled 

 continuous mat covering the el3^tra and penetrated by the protective 

 setae. 



Biology. —Popularly loiown as the sea mouse. A dredged form, 

 sometimes washed up on the beach after a storm. Found on bot- 

 toms of mud and on mixed bottoms containing much mud; sometimes 

 found in lobster pots. Specimens taken from the stomach of haddock 

 (off Chatham, Massachusetts, July 6, 1956, E. Clark, collector; and 

 Georges Bank, February 3, 1955, R. Wigley), from the stomach of a 

 cod, Gadus callarias (Miscou Bank, Gulf of St. LawTence, May 27, 

 1953). Adults filled with matm'e eggs and sperm in August (Gulf 

 of Mame, Procter, 1933). 



Material examined. — Numerous specimens from Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence, Grand Banks off Newfoundland to off mouth of Chesapeake 

 Bay, in 12 to 1,106 fathoms. 



Distribution. — Gulf of St. Lawrence to Chesapeake Bay. In 2 

 to 1,106 fathoms. 



Family Polynoidae 



Body relatively short or long and vermiform. Elytra not con- 

 cealed under feltlike setae. With dorsal cu'ri on segments without 

 elytra. Pygidium with a pair of anal cirri. First or tentacular seg- 

 ment with setae few or lacking. Prostomium bilobed, usually 2 

 pairs of eyes, 3 antennae, a pair of palps. Facial tubercle poorly 

 developed. Ventral surface without numerous globular papillae. 

 Proboscis large, powerful, distally with 2 pairs of amber-colored 

 interlocking jaws and a circle of papillae (fig. 3c). Characteristically 

 crawling forms. May live commensally with other anunals. 



Key to the New England Genera of Polynoidae 



1. Lateral antennae inserted terminally on anterior prolongations of the pro- 



stomium, without distinct ceratophores (fig. 36) . Elytral pairs 12-13, 17-20, 



or numerous 2 



Lateral antennae inserted ventral to median antenna, with ceratophores more 

 or less distinct (fig. 7a). Elytral pairs 15-16 5 



2. With notosetae; notosetae finer than neurosetae 3 



Without notosetae 4 



3. Segments few (26); elytral pairs 12 Lepidonotus (p. 16) 



Segments numerous (more than 50); elytral pairs numerous (more than 23). 



Lepidametria (p. 19) 



4. Segments 36-39; elytral pairs 17-20. Notopodia represented by a fingerlike 



lobe with an embedded aciculum (fig. 4j). Nonpelagic. 



Alenliana (p. 20) 

 Segments 26-27; elytral pairs 12-13. Notopodia lacking entirely. Pelagic. 



Drieschia (p. 22) 



