[ 541 ] 



Notes on the Invertebrate Fauna and Fish-food 

 of the Bays between the Start and Exmouth. 



By 

 R. A. Todd, B.Sc. 



Introduction. 



The following records are based on notes taken on board the Oithona 

 when engaged in fishing in the bays. Whilst the primary object of the 

 work was the distribution of fish, it was thought that something would 

 be gained if the distribution of the invertebrates in the same area were 

 known. The time at our disposal, however, did not allow of hauls with 

 the dredge and shrimp trawl, so that the records are based, in all but 

 one case, on the invertebrates caught in an otter trawl, the exception 

 being on the Limpet Eocks off Torcross, where one haul with the dredge 

 was taken. This is accountable for the fact that many of the smaller 

 invertebrates were not caught at all, whilst some are only recorded 

 because they Vt^ere found in fish stomachs. The almost total absence 

 in the records of Tunicata, Polyzoa, and small species of the other groups 

 is due to the fact that only those were recorded which could be identi- 

 fied on board. The records themselves, however, incomplete as they 

 are, are fairly representative of the distribution of the species recorded. 

 ■ For a description of the bottom -deposits and the positions of the 

 stations worked over, the reader is referred to the Report to the Devon 

 Committee in the present number of this Journal, pp. 451, 460, 467. 



I. Records of Invertebrates. 



STAET BAY. 



Station I. 



This ground was characterised by the presence in moderate numbers 



of Chcetopterus variopedatics and Atelecyclus heterodon, the latter of which 



occurred on only one other ground, " the Corner," where it was common. 



Maia squtnado, Corystes cassivclaunus, and Solen cnsis, the latter in 



Plaice stomachs, were more common on this ground than elsewhere. 



