A Commercial Sampling Program for Sandworms, 

 Nereis virens Sars, and Bloodworms, Glycera dihranchiata Ehlers, 



Harvested Along the Maine Coast 



EDWIN P CREASER, JR., 1 DAVID A. CLIFFORD, 2 

 MICHAEL J. HOGAN, 3 and DAVID B. SAMPSON 1 



ABSTRACT 



Brief discussions of the history and development of the marine worm fisheries for bloodworms, Glycera 

 dihranchiata, and sandworms, Nereis virens, the methods of digging both species, the packing media used in 

 their shipment, and the various marine worm markets, are presented. 



The status of the commercial marine worm fishery between April and September 1973-76 was investi- 

 gated. A sampling program for bloodworms and sandworms revealed that there was no significant difference 

 in the mean size of bloodworms (18.72 + 0.60-20.83 + 0.54 cm) and sandworms (25.69 + 0.42-26.77 + 0.53 cm) 

 harvested. Marine worm diggers avoid picking up potential spawning sandworms during the months of 

 March, April, and May and bloodworms during the month of May. During August and September, potential 

 sandworm spawners comprise 15.6-38.3% of the commercial catch; during April, potential bloodworm 

 spawners comprise 7.33-13.58% of the commercial catch. Sandworm spawners were found coastwide but 

 bloodworm spawners were never collected east of the Taunton River (Sullivan, Maine). Approximately 8% of 

 the sandworms and 5-7% of the bloodworms had regenerated tails and approximately 19-23% of the sand- 

 worms and 12-13% of the bloodworms were broken. 



The use of probability sampling expansions has enabled us to estimate that sandworm diggers dug a total of 

 45,746-66,004 hours/sampling season during a total of 23,402-31,587 tides/sampling season and landed a total 

 catch of 307,426-409,189 pounds. Bloodworm diggers dug a total of 89,691-177,909 hours/sampling season 

 during a total of 30,545-62,339 tides/sampling season and landed a total catch of 109,936-206,577 pounds. 



It cannot be conclusively stated that sandworm and bloodworm abundance changed significantly between 

 1973 and 1976. Ratio estimates of the numbers of marine worms dug/digger tide varied between 

 1,024 + 60-1,184 + 38 (sandworms) and 536 + 36-662 + 26 (bloodworms). 



The 6-month mean value/tide and value/hour varied between $27.97-$40.30 and $14.34-$19.15, respec- 

 tively (sandworms), and $27.97-$31.59 and $10.11— $11 .00, respectively (bloodworms). 



A significant difference exists in the length-weight relationships for sandworms and bloodworms from 

 eastern Maine and the Sheepscot River. This observation may result from the fact that bloodworm spawners 

 are rare in eastern Maine and bloodworms may substitute an increase in weight for the production of gametes. 

 No explanation for this observation in sandworms can presently be given. 



The numbers of bloodworms and sandworms per pound were calculated from mean length and length- 

 weight data. Although the mean number of bloodworms per pound decreased during the 4-year sampling 

 period, the decrease was not significant at 95% confidence limits (1 .96 SE). No significant changes in the mean 

 number of sandworms per pound were recorded during the same period. 



The MSY (maximum sustainable yield) for the fishery was obtained with approximately 815 bloodworm 

 diggers, 386 sandworm diggers, and 99 diggers who dug both species. OSY (optimal sustainable yield) was 

 approximately 564-689 bloodworm diggers, 267-327 sandworm diggers, and 69-84 diggers who dug both spe- 

 cies. Very rough quotas of 28-33 million bloodworms, and 26-30 million sandworms are associated with these 

 OSY figures. 



The overall average frequencies of bloodworm and sandworm digging (expressed as the number of low tide 

 periods occurring since the last low tide dug) were 5.3 and 3.4, respectively. The numbers of years of digging 

 experience recorded for bloodworm and sandworm diggers show that worm digging is frequently a short-lived 

 work experience, 35-51% of the bloodworm diggers and 22-34% of the sandworm diggers have dug between 1 

 and 4 years. The mean age of bloodworm and sand worm diggers varied bet ween 27. 7 and 3 1.9. The vast major- 

 ity of both bloodworm and sandworm diggers are male. 



INTRODUCTION 



Two species of Annelid worms are harvested for bait in Maine: 

 the sandworm orclamworm, Nereis virens, and the bloodworm or 



'Maine Department of Marine Resources Research Laboratory, West Boothbay 

 Harbor. ME04575. 



-Maine Department of Marine Resources Research Laboratory, West Boothbay 

 Harbor, Maine; present address: Maine Department of Marine Resources, Hallo- 

 well, ME 04347. 



3 Maine Department of Marine Resources Research Laboratory, West Boothbay 

 Harbor Maine: present address: Marine Resources Commission, P.O. Box 756, 

 Newport News, VA 23607. 



beak-thrower, Glycera dihranchiata. These worms are dug from 

 mud flats by marine worm diggers who are licensed by the State of 

 Maine, Department of Marine Resources (DMR). Worm diggers 

 generally dig only one species or the other and sell their catch to 

 wholesale shippers (dealers) who are also licensed by the State. The 

 wholesale shippers pack and ship their worms to wholesale distrib- 

 utors from whom they have received purchase requests. Wholesale 

 distributors sell their worms to bait shop retailers who divide the 

 shipment into lots of a dozen worms and sell directly to recreational 

 fishermen. The worms are used in recreational fisheries for black- 

 fish, bluefish, fluke, kingfish, pogy, weakfish, sea bass, striped 

 bass, spot, flounder, and smelt on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific 



