the sandy tunicates Amaroecium pellucidum (Pettibone 1963). 

 Lumbrineris tenuis was abundant in samples collected on the New 

 York-New Jersey outer continental shelf by Pearce, Caracciolo. 

 Halsey. and Rogers (1977a). In the New York Bight apex. L. tenuis 

 was present in all sediment types, occurring in high concentrations 

 in a variety of sediments, particularly those with medium to high 

 organic contents (Fig. 46; Table 1). 



FEEDING ECOLOGY: The Lumbrineridae, in general, are 

 thought to be carnivores, however, Sanders et al. (1962) found 

 sand, diatoms, and detritus in the stomachs of L. tenuis, indicating 

 that it may also be a deposit feeder. 



In our collections. L. tenuis has been found in the gut of the poly- 

 chaete Tlwrx.x acutus on three occasions (Frame). 1 " 



REPRODUCTION AND GROWTH: Gelatinous egg masses 

 with large, dull greenish yolky eggs have been found in the sand in 

 Cuttyhunk Harbor. Mass.. during June. Similar large yolky eggs 

 were found inside some individuals found in the same area. Spheri- 

 cal gelatinous masses containing eggs and larvae were also 

 observed attached to the surface of the mud (Pettibone 1963). 



The early development of Lumbriconereis sp. from Newport. 

 R.I.. described by Fewkes (1883). may refer to this species. The 

 eggs were found in all stages of growth in June, July, and August. 

 Early development took place within the gelatinous egg masses, 

 after which crawling, nonpelagic larvae emerged. 



In Greenland, Curtis' (1977) collections of Lumbrineris spp. 

 (tentatively identified as L. tenuis and L. minuta) included a num- 

 ber of females, often bearing coelomic oocytes of 150-250 jim. 

 The appearance and size of the ripe ova seemed to him to be indica- 

 tive of direct larval development. Spawning season could not be 

 discerned. 



Ninoe nigripes Verrill, 1873 



DESCRIPTION: Motile, burrowing form; body elongate, slen- 

 der. Length to 100 mm, width to 4 mm, segments to 150 (Pettibone 

 1963). 



DISTRIBUTION: Gulf of St. Lawrence to Florida. Gulf of Mex- 

 ico, Chile, off northwest Spain. Antarctic (Pettibone 1963; Gar- 

 diner 1975). 



4010" 



Figure 47. — Distribution and abundance of Ninoe nigripes in the New York 

 Bight apex. 



REPRODUCTION AND GROWTH: Males filled with white 

 sperm masses and females with large orange yolky eggs 

 ( = 160-190 fim in diameter) have been found in the Cape Cod Bay 

 (Massachusetts) region in June. July, and August, along with 

 numerous very small specimens. Among the specimens collected in 

 Massachusetts Bay, fertilized eggs were present among parapodia 

 in the branchial region. The yolky eggs were being extruded from 

 large pores below the parapodia (Pettibone 1963). 



HABITAT: Intertidal to 1.170 m. Found at low water in mud. 

 Collected on bottoms of soft or sticky mud, sandy mud, silty clay 

 and fine sand, mud mixed with gravel, shells, and worm and 

 amphipod tubes. Ninoe nigripes forms tubes of mucus mixed with 

 mud and sand (Pettibone 1963). In Kinner's (1978) study from 

 Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras, N. nigripes was one of the dominant 

 species on the mid-outer shelf in silt-clay, occurring 43.8% of the 

 time at stations with > 10% silt-clay. In the New York Bight apex, 

 N. nigripes occurred in high concentrations in a variety of sediment 

 types and organic levels (Fig. 47; Table 1). 



FEEDING ECOLOGY: The Lumbrineridae are generally con- 

 sidered to be carnivorous burrowers (Day 1967). However, Sanders 

 1 1 960 j found N. nigripes to be a selective deposit feeder, feeding on 

 the surface of the mud. 



Drilonereis longa Webster, 1879 



DESCRIPTION: Body threadlike, length to 710 mm. width to 

 1.5 mm, segments to 1,000 (Pettibone 1963). 



DISTRIBUTION: Massachusetts to Georgia, West Indies. 

 Washington, southern California (Pettibone 1963; Gardiner 1975). 



HABITAT: Collected on bottoms of fine sand, silty clay, or mud. 

 with worm tubes or fine gravel from the intertidal to depths of 

 2,450 m (Pettibone 1963; Gardiner 1975). In Kinners (1978) study 

 from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras, Drilonereis longa was a domi- 

 nant species on the inner shelf in sand and on the mid-outer shelf in 

 silt-clay. In the New York Bight apex, D. longa occurred in all sedi- 

 ment types, primarily in fine sands, being absent from only the 

 highest organic areas (Fig. 48; Table 1). 



,0 Ann Frame, Northeast Fisheries Center Sandy Hook Laboratory, National 

 Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. Highlands, NJ 07732, pers. commun. July 1978. 



FEEDING ECOLOGY: Members of this family (the Arabelli- 

 dae) are burrowers and are generally considered to be predaceous or 



33 



