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Figure 33.— Distribution and abundance of Nephlys picla in the New York Bight 



apex. 



Figure 34.— Distribution and abundance of Xephtys (Aglaophamus) circinata in 

 the New York Bight apex. 



FEEDING ECOLOGY: N. picta is probably a surface deposit 

 feeder and/or carnivore (see Nephtys incisa) . 



REPRODUCTION AND GROWTH: No information specific 

 for N. picta was available, however, planktotrophic larvae are 

 probably produced (see A', incisa for details). 



Nephtys (Aglaophamus) circinata Verrill, 1874 



DESCRIPTION: A mobile species; length to 50 mm. width to 5 

 mm (Pettibone 1963). 



DISTRIBUTION: Gulf of St. Lawrence to North Carolina (Gar- 

 diner 1975). 



HABITAT: Collected on bottoms of mud. sand with gravel, 

 rocks, shells (Pettibone 1963): found from Cape Cod to Cape Hat- 

 teras in depths of 13-611 m (Kinner 1978). In Delaware Bay. 

 Nephtys circinata was not significantly associated with any sedi- 

 ment parameters: it was found in a range of sediment types (Kinner 

 and Maurer 1978). On Georges Bank, it was an abundant species 

 negatively correlated with silt-clay (Maurer and Leathern 1980). 

 Steimle and Radosh ( 1979) found it to be a ubiquitous species in 

 sand) sediments off New Jersey. In the New York Bight apex, N. 

 circinata was present in fine to coarse sandy sediments, most com- 

 monly in fine sands, but was absent from silty sediments and areas 

 where sediment organic content exceeded 3.8% (Fig. 34: Table 1). 



FEEDING ECOLOGY: N. circinata is probably a nonselective 

 deposit feeder and/or carnivore (see Nephtys incisa). 



REPRODUCTION AND GROWTH: Nothing is known of the 

 reproductive patterns of N. circinata in this area. However, it is 

 probable that it produces planktotrophic larvae (see N. incisa). 

 Winter and summer distribution and abundance patterns were simi- 

 lar in the New York Bight apex. 



Order Capitellida 



Capitella capitata (Fabricius, 1780) 



DESCRIPTION: Motile burrowers which form mucus-lined gal- 

 leries: body slender, generally 30-50 mm long, dark red when alive 

 (Day 1967: Gosner 1971). Grassle and Grassle (1976) believed that 

 Capitella capitata is not a single species but a complex of at least 

 six sibling species, each with a different life history. Therefore, 

 information here reported may apply to a species complex rather 

 than to a single species. 



DISTRIBUTION: A cosmopolitan species, occurring in cold, 

 temperate, and warm waters throughout the world (Warren 1976). 



HABITAT: C. capitata is often used as an indicator of pollution 

 and also of unpredictable environments all over the world (Muus 

 1967: S. Schultz 1969; Wolff 1973). The species becomes common 



24 



