. POLYCHAETE WORMS, PART 1 233 



Biology. — Found at low water in sand or sandy mud, under stones. 

 Dredged on bottoms of sandy clay, in sand and shells, in "weed" 

 (Lagoon Pond, Martha's Viney^ard). They are filled with ripe eggs 

 in July in the Woods Hole area (Moore, ms.). Small specimens may 

 be found at the surface at the light (Fisheries Dock, Woods Hole, 

 July 26, 1954). They may be somewhat pelagic in habit. 



Material examined. — Type specimens of Stauronereis annulata 

 Moore from W^ashington and S. articulatus Hartman from California. 

 Also Massachusetts (Woods Hole region, Stony Beach, North Fal- 

 mouth; Lackeys Bay on Nonamesset Island, Lagoon Pond on Martha's 

 Vineyard; Vineyard Sound, surface), Rhode Island (Newport), North 

 CaroHna (Beaufort), Florida (Seahorse Ke}"), Washington (San Juan 

 Island near Turn Island, Edmonds, Meadowdale). 



Distribution.- — Off Norway, EngHsh Channel, Mediterranean, 

 Alassachusetts (Cape Cod) to Florida, Gulf of Mexico, West Indies, 

 British Columbia to Lower California, Mexico, Chili. Low water to 

 144 fathoms; young and mature forms at surface. 



Stauronereis caecns (Webster and Benedict, 1884) 



Figure 61 



Staurocephalus caecus Webster and Benedict, 1884, p. 721, pi. 4, figs. 44-48. — 

 Uschakov, 1955, p. 246, fig. 83. 



Description. — Length up to 8 mm., width up to 0.6 mm., segments 

 up to 60. Body long, slender, nearly cylindrical, tapered shghtly 

 anteriorl}^ and posteriorly, flattened ventrally, arched dorsally. Pro- 

 stomial antennae with 10-15 articles (fig. 61a). Anal segment with 

 3 anal cirri, lateral-ventral pair longer and annulated, median-ventral 

 one shorter (fig. 616). Maxillae of proboscis with a more posterior 

 basal fused piece, diverging into a pair of longitudinal rows of comb 

 plates each with one larger tooth, each row diverging into a double 

 row of curved denticled plates. Color: white. 



The young have been described thus by Webster and Benedict. 

 Antennae and palps appear as mere buds. Dorsal and ventral cirri 

 both short, globular, the long dorsal cirrophores of the dorsal cirri 

 lacking. Good portion of body ciliated, moving by a uniform gliding 

 motion. In more advanced stages, palps more elongate, antennae 

 short and clubbed. 



Biology.— Found at low water in sand. Dredged on bottoms of 

 sticky mud, sandy mud, silty clay and fine sand, with tubes, shells, 

 and among tunicates (as sandy Amaroecium) . 



Material examined.^ — ^Gulf of St. Lawrence (Bay of Chaleurs, 

 Gaspe Bay, 7-85 fathoms), Maine (Ebenecook Harbor, Southport 

 Island, Boothbay Harbor region, 3 fathoms), Massachusetts (Alba- 

 tross III, 40°46'' N., 67°32' W., 44 fathoms; 41°20' N., 68°35' W., 



