FOREWORD 



This NMFS Circular is part of the subseries "Marine Flora and Fauna of the Northeastern 

 United Statesl' which consists of original, illustrated, modern manuals on the identification, 

 classification, and general biology of the estuarine and coastal marine plants and animals of the 

 northeastern United Slates. The manuals are pubhshed at irregular intervals on as many taxa of the 

 region as there are specialists available to collaborate in their preparation. 



Geographic coverage of the "Marine Flora and Fauna of the Northeastern United States" is 

 planned to include organisms from the headwaters of estuaries seaward to appro.ximately the 200 m 

 depth on the continental shelf from Maine to Virginia, but may vary somewhat with each major 

 taxon and the interests of collaborators. Whenever possible representative specimens dealt with in the 

 manuals are deposited in the reference collections of major museums of the region. 



The "Marine Flora and Fauna of the Northeastern United States" is being prepared in col- 

 laboration with systematic specialists in the United States and abroad. Each manual is based primari- 

 ly on recent and ongoing revisionary systematic research and a fresh examination of the plants and 

 animals. Each major taxon, treated in a separate manual, includes an introduction, illustrated 

 glossary, uniform originally illustrated keys, annotated checklist with information when available on 

 distribution, habitat, life history, and related biology, references to the major literature of the group, 

 and a systematic index. 



These manuals are intended for use by biology students, biologists, biological oceanographers, 

 informed laymen, and others wishing to identify coastal organisms for this region. Often they can 

 serve as guides to additional information about species or groups. 



The manuals are an outgrowth of the widely used "Keys to Marine Invertebrates of the Woods 

 Hole Region;' edited by R. I. Smith in 1964, and produced under the auspices of the Systematics 

 Ecology Program, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass. After a sufficient number of 

 manuals of related taxonomic groups have been published, the manuals will be revised, grouped, and 

 issued as special volumes, which will consist of compilations for phyla or groups of phyla. 



