Handbook of Paleontology 175 



foundland. It attains a length of at least nine and one- 

 half feet and only 30 specimens have ever been found. 



Gravelly or pebbly bottoms have a characteristic fauna, 

 and shelly bottoms support much the same life. There 

 may be burrowing or tube-dwelling species, as many 

 worms, small crustaceans, bivalve shells etc. ; hydroids, 

 bryozoans, bivalves, and numerous ascidians or sea squirts 

 adhere to shells or pebbles; then there are species that 

 hide among shells and pebbles such as crabs and other 

 crustaceans; small crustaceans, some worms, snails, and 

 most of the delicate bryozoans and hydroids live attached 

 to hydroids, bryozoans, algae etc. living on shells and 

 pebbles ; also there are larger forms that creep and swim, 

 such as the lobster, larger crabs, hermit crabs, large gas- 

 tropods, mollusks, starfishes, sea urchins, sea cucumbers 

 etc. Such bottoms are the feeding grounds of many kinds 

 of fishes because of the abundance of food to be found 

 there. Among the crustaceans may be listed the Common 

 or American Lobster, Hermit Crab, Rock Crab, Common 

 Shrimp, Spider Crab etc. Gastropods are represented by 

 both species of Giant Whelks, Sand Collar Snails, Boat 

 Shells, the wormlike Vermetus. The Edible Mussel, 

 Horse or Bearded Mussel, the Common Scallop, the 

 Bloody Clam, Cod Clam, Surf Clam and Jingle Shells 

 are some of the bivalves. Bryozoans are very abundant, 

 hydrozoans are numerous; there are few sea anemones 

 and they are the same as on rocky bottoms ; the Sulphur 

 Sponge and the Star Coral are present. The Green Star- 

 fish, Green and Purple Sea Urchin, the Red and Crim- 

 son Sea Cucumber and the Common Brittle Star (Amphi- 

 pholis) represent the echinoderms. A very delicate gray 

 or whitish brittle star (Amphiura squamata) is found on 

 shelly bottoms. 



