Table 14. — Bathymetric distribution of Leptocheinu 

 pinguU in samples from Middle Atlanlic Bight. 



Sediment Relationship. This species has been col- 

 lected on sediments ranging from sand to silt-clay 

 (Bousfield 1973). We found L. pinguis on sediments 

 ranging from gravelly sand to silt-clay (Table 15), but 

 the highest densities (350/m^) and the majority of the 

 samples (123/167) occurred on sand bottoms. 



Table 13. — Sediment associations of Leptocheirua 

 pinguu in samples from Middle Atlantic Bight. 



Leptocheirua plumuloaua Shoemaker 1932 



This species lives in brackish estuaries from Capie Cod 

 to Florida in shallow water on silty bottoms (Bousfield 

 1973). Leptocheirus plumulosus occurred at four of our 

 stations in the upp>er Chesapeake Bay (Fig. 8) in low to 

 moderate densities (10-590/m^). These collections were 

 between 7 and 16 m on silt-clay bottoms. This species' 

 preference for brackish water accounts for its scarcity in 

 our collections. 



Microprotopus raneyi Wigley 1%6 



This tube-dwelling amphipod has been reported from 

 shallow water between Cape Cod Bay and the Gulf of 

 Mexico on sand bottoms (Bousfield 1973). We collected 

 M. raneyi at a single station off Virginia on a sand bot- 

 tom at 8 m (Fig. 9). The preference of this species for 

 very shallow water probably accounts for its rarity in our 

 samples. 



Neohela monstroaa (Boeck) 1861 



This cold-water species has been recorded through- 

 out the arctic boreal regions of the North Atlantic, and it 

 occurs south to Delaware along the east coast of North 



America (Shoemaker 1930; Bousfield 1973). In our col- 

 lections, N. monstrosa occurred at a single station on 

 the continental slope east of New Jersey in 650 m on a 

 silty sand bottom (Fig. 9). This species is probably con- 

 fined to bathyal depths in our study area, which ac- 

 counts for its scarcity since we took only a few samples 

 at those depths. 



Photia dentata Shoemaker 1945 



This species is distributed off the east coast of North 

 America from Maine to Florida (Shoemaker 1945a; 

 Bousfield 1973). Photis dentata occurred at 19 stations 

 in the Middle Atlantic Bight between Cape Cod and 

 Cape May, N.J. (Fig. 9). It.s density ranged between 

 2/m^ and 60/m'' with a mean of 20/m'^. We found this 

 species at stations located between 49 and 92 m with 

 over 65' f of the occurrences being >80 m (Table 16). It 

 showed a strong preference for sand bottoms (19/21). 

 Photis dentata is found in deeper water and seems to 

 have a more southerly distribution than P. macrocoxa. 



Table 16.— Bathymetric distribution of Photis dentata 

 in samples from Middle Atlantic Bight. 



Photia macrocoxa Shoemaker 1945 



Bousfield (1973) gave the range of this species as Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence to Virginia. In our collections, P. 

 macrocoxa occurred at only six stations just south of 

 Cape Cod (Fig. 9). According to Bousfield (1973), this 

 species occurs subtidally to 100 m on sand and mud bot- 

 toms. Our records were distributed between 23 and 59 m 

 on sand bottoms. It occurred in low densities (6-20/m^) 

 at all six stations. 



Protomedeia faaciata Ki4yer 1842 



According to Bousfield (1973), this species is found 

 chiefly in the arctic, and has been reported south along 

 the east coast of North America to the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence. Its occurrence at nine of our stations south of 

 Cape Cod to east of Sandy H(X)k, N.J., (Fig. 9) extends 

 its known distribution significantly. The mean density 

 of P. faaciata was 20/m-, ranging between 2/m- and 

 60/m^. It occurred in a narrow depth interval (49-62 m) 

 and showed a strong preference for sand bottoms (8/9). 



Paeuduniciola obliquua (Shoemaker) 1949 



Geographic Distribution. Bousfield (1973) gave the 

 range of this species as the Bay of Fundy to Sandy Hook, 



16 



