66 SEA-SHORE LIFE 
four black eyes. When disturbed the worm turns its throat inside 
out displaying a pair of sharp, horny jaws. The posterior segment 
of the body has no gill-feet but bears two long feelers. 
There are three species of clam worms to be found on our coast. 
The largest of these is Nereis virens which is even more abundant 
northward and extends to the northern coasts of Europe. It becomes 

Fig. 36; CLAM WORM. From Life. Long Island Sound. 
about one and one-half feet in length, and the body is olive brown 
or olive blue with a beautiful pearly iridescence. The gills, which 
are attached to the upper sides of the feet, are leaf-shaped, and are 
green on the front and salmon red on the middle and hinder parts 
of the body. The teeth are black. 
Nereis limbata is also common. It may be recognized by its 
horny, yellow colored teeth and small size, being not more than six 
inches long. 
Nereis pelagica is more abundant on the coast of New England 
north of Cape Cod. The body is widest in the middle, while in the 
other species of Nereis it is widest very near the head end. On 
calm nights, during the summer months, these worms leave their 
burrows, swim about near the surface, and cast their eggs out into 
the water, where they develop into little pear-shaped larve which 
swim rapidly through the water by means of waving cilia. The 
development has been thoroughly studied by FE. B. Wilson in “The 
American Journal of Morphology,” 1892, Vol. VI. 
Nereis is a carnivorous worm and greedily devours other 
worms, and various marine animals. It is, however, a favorite food 
with fishes and makes an excellent bait. It is also preyed upon by 
the ribbon worm. 
