14 



Where currents occur, as at Whites Point, it is Chaetopterus 

 variopedatus with Ophiothrix spiculata o In sandy or muddy 

 bottoms it is Nothria elegans, and where bottoms are 

 mixed with gravel it may be Glycera or Nephtys species. 



The most flourishing population of Diopatra ornata 

 has been found close inshore near Malibu Point, It is 

 adjacent to raacrokelps on which it may depend for its 

 food and tube-building materials^ The densest colony 

 of Chaetopterus is at Whites Point, This species feeds 

 by secreting a mucus mesh in which it captures various 

 microorganisms as they are swept along with the currents. 



The preponderance of a few families of animals is 

 noteworthy. The onuphids are well represented with 

 Diopatra ornata., usually in coarse sediments near shore 

 or near outfalls, and Nothria elegans occurs in finer 

 bottoms at similar levels. In deeper waters, these are 

 replaced by Qnuphis nebulosa, 0. vexillaria o Diopatra 

 tridentata , or others. The maldanids, represented in 

 shallow waters by Praxi llella and Axiothella are replaced 

 in other areas by Maldane in soft bottoms, and by Isocirrus 

 in gravelly bottoms. Among the chaetopterids, Chaetopterus 

 is tolerant to effluent and requires currents; Phyllo - 

 chaetop terus prolif ica requires mixed bottoms and thrives 

 in a wide range of vertical depths; Telepsavus occurs 

 in shallow fine sandy sediments; Mesochaetopterus is in 

 soft deeper bottoms, and another kind of Phyllochaetopterus 

 occurs in subsill depths of the basins. 



