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Figure 65. 



-Distribution and abundance of Neomysis americana in the New 

 York Bight apex. 



Figure 66. 



-Distribution and abundance of Crangon septemspinosa in the New 

 York Bight apex. 



brood chamber (Barnes 1963: Gosner 1971). Wigley and Burns 

 (1971) reported that although spawning in coastal populations takes 

 place throughout the year, it is much more intensive during the 

 warmer months. Two distinct size groups of spawning females per 

 year are discernible, the large spring spawners (11-12 mm) that 

 have overwintered and smaller fall spawners (6-8 mm). Egg pro- 

 duction also varies between the two groups, the overwintering 

 group producing about 26 eggs/individual and the summer group 

 about 6 eggs. The life cycle is a year or less and varies per seasonal 

 population. Richards and Riley (1967) have estimated a production 

 to biomass ratio of 3.66 for this species in Long Island Sound. 



Order Decapoda 



Crangon septemspinosa (Say, 1818) 



DESCRIPTION: The common sand shrimp. Color ash-gray with 

 numerous irregular, stellate, black or brown spots or chromato- 

 phores. or speckled with gray, imitating the colorof sand. Length to 

 70 mm (Price 1962: Williams 1965). 



DISTRIBUTION: In the Atlantic it occurs from Baffin Bay. Can- 

 ada, to eastern Florida. It also occurs from Alaska to California on 

 the Pacific coast and in Japan (Williams 1965). 



HABITAT: Crangon septemspinosa occurs in great numbers 

 from the littoral zone to depths of 91 m. It is common on sand flats, 

 in tidepools. in bays and inlets along the coast, and in sandy bot- 



toms in deeper water offshore. Its color imitates that of sand so 

 closely that it is camouflaged when resting motionless on the bot- 

 tom or when partially buried in the sand. Between tides, it uses its 

 pleopods to bury itself in the moist sand to a considerable depth 

 (Miner 1950; Williams 1965). Crangon septemspinosa can tolerate 

 a salinity range of 4-32% and temperature extremes from 0.0° to 

 26.0°C (Price 1962). 



In the New York Bight apex. C. septemspinosa occurred in low 

 abundance, 10-20/m-\ in depths from 9.6 to 29.8 m. It was col- 

 lected in all grades of medium and low organic content sand, but 

 was most abundant in low organic fine-medium grain sand (Fig. 

 66: Table 1). 



FEEDING ECOLOGY: Price (1962) considered this species to 

 be an omnivore in Delaware Bay. Williams (1965) reported that it 

 consumes planktonic Crustacea and scavenged material. Sanders et 

 al. (1962) found that C. septemspinosa ate detritus, diatoms, small 

 Crustacea (ostracods), small mollusks (Gemma gemma), nema- 

 todes, and algae in Long Island Sound. Wilcox and Jeffries (1974) 

 found the species to prefer and grow best on animal tissues of 

 marine origin although it was also able to utilize food of microbial 

 and terrestrial origins. 



Creaser (1973) stated that spent epitokes of the bloodworm. Gly- 

 cera dibranchiata , are consumed by C. septemspinosa, which in 

 turn is eaten by the striped bass. Morone saxatilis. Crangon sep- 

 temspinosa must utilize all of its powers of concealment, for it is 

 actively sought and consumed by nearly all of the larger fishes 

 which frequent its waters. It constitutes a principal food for weak- 

 fish. Cynoscion regalis: kingfish. Menlicirrhus saxatilis; bluefish. 



44 



