Figure 55.— Distribution and abundance of Asabellidcs ocutata in the New York 

 Bight apex. 



highest concentration of/4, oculata occurred at a high organic con- 

 tent station (Fig. 55; Table 1). 



FEEDING ECOLOGY: A. oculata, like other Ampharetidae. is 

 a surface deposit feeder (see A. arnica). 



REPRODUCTION AND GROWTH: No specific information is 

 available for A. oculata (see Ampharetc arctica). 



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: It has been observed that A. 

 oculata and several other tube dwelling polychaetes produce the 

 enzyme protease externally. It is hypothesized by Zottoli and Carri- 

 ker ( 1974) that this enzyme helps keep the internal surface of their 

 tubes free of attaching organisms. 



In recolonization studies during summer 1977, following the 

 1976 anoxic event in the New York Bight, "blooms" of A. oculata 

 were observed in formerly oxygen depleted areas (Steimle and 

 Radosh 1979). Although A. oculata is not generally regarded as an 

 opportunist, we found it in highest concentration at a high organic 

 station in the present study and we also found it in large numbers in 

 an earlierunpublished study at an ocean sewer outfall off Deal, N.J. 

 Faux el (1958) remarked that the unusual pectinate gills found in 

 this family (Ampharetidae) are adaptations for surviving in poorly 

 oxygenated water. 



Order Flabelligerida 



Pherusa affinis (Leidy, 1855) 



DESCRIPTION: A large, rather sedentary species character- 

 ized, in part, by the possession of mucus-secreting papillae to 

 which sand or mud particles adhere. Lengths in our collections 

 reached 75 mm. 



DISTRIBUTION: Maine to Chesapeake Bay (Kinner and 

 Maurer 1978). 



HABITAT: Pherusa affinis has been collected in moderately high 

 numbers from the New York-New Jersey outer continental shelf 

 (Pearce, Caracciolo. Halsey, and Rogers 1977a). In a study of the 

 New York Bight apex, Pearce (1972) found P. affinis to be more 

 abundant around sludge deposits than in natural communties. In the 

 present investigation of the apex. P. affinis was found in all sedi- 

 ment types but was again clearly most abundant in high organic fine 

 sand and silty sediments, occurring in numbers as high as 800/m : 

 (Fig. 56; Table 1). 



FEEDING ECOLOGY: The Flabelligeridae are discreetly motile 

 deposit feeders, using their large frilly palps to collect food parti- 

 cles from the sediment surface (Jumars and Fauchald 1977). 



REPRODUCTION AND GROWTH: No specific information 

 was available in the literature for this species. However, Fallon 



°/f 



/ / 



1 





\ 



\ 



\ 



s 



□ 

 □ 



l -99 m a 

 100-609 rr,2 



4010 



7350' 



7340' 



Figure 56. — Distribution and abundance of Pherusa affinis in the New York 

 Bight apex. 



38 



