Table 49.— Sediment associations of Phoxocephalus 

 holboUi in samples from Middle Atlantic Bight. 



Family PLEUSTIDAE 



Stenopleuatea gracilis (Holmes) 1905 



This species has been recorded from the south side of 

 Cape Cod to Chesapeake Bay in shallow water on sandy 

 bottoms (Bousfield 1973). In our collections, S. gracilis 

 occurred at four stations between 18 and 52 m on sand 

 and shelly sand bottoms (Fig. 25). This species seems to 

 be rare throughout its geographic range. 



Stenopleuatea inermia Shoemaker 1949 



Geographic Distribution. Bousfield (1973) reported 

 that this species occurs from the Bay of Fundy to Cape 

 Cod Bay. Our collections from south of Cape Cod to 



Cape May constitute a southern range extension for this 

 species off the east coast of North America (Fig. 25). 

 Stenopleustes inermis occurred in 25 samples from 20 

 stations always in low densities (2-40/m''). This species 

 is rare south of Long Island. 



Bathymetric Distribution. Bousfield (1973) gave the 

 bathymetric range for this species as 5-50 m. In our col- 

 lections, S. inermis occurred at somewhat greater 

 depths, between 23 and 97 m. It occurred most frequent- 

 ly between 40 and 70 m (Table 50). The discrepancy 

 between the bathymetric range given by Bousfield and 

 that found in our samples may be the result of sub- 

 mergence of this species in the southern part of its geo- 

 graphic range. 



Table 50.— Bathymetric distribution of Stenopletutet 

 inermia in samples from Middle Atlantic Bight. 



Figtire 25.— Geographic distribution of Bi>ecieB from the family Pleustidae in the Middle Atlantic Bight. 



43 



