A QUANTITATIVE SURVEY OF THE INVERTEBRATE BOTTOM FAUNA IN MENEMSHA BIGHT

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Abstract
The invertebrate bottom-dwelling organisms of Menemsha Bight, a commercial fishing grounds, were studied with the use of a large grab bucket and a screening device to remove organisms from the samples. The area could be divided into 5 zones on a basis of the nature of the bottom material. That zone with a fine mixed sand bottom was the most widespread and contained the greatest no. of organisms/20 liters bottom material that are of known value as food for commercial fishes. The average catch from a sample of this volume weighed 10 gm. (wet) and contained 1.3 gm. dry organic matter. Ampelisca macrocephala and Clymenella torquata were the most numerous organisms in this zone, and flounder were captured most frequently in regions where these two animals were particularly abundant. These regions also contained many invertebrates of different spp. The fauna of adjacent stations in a relatively uniform area might differ considerably in both qualitative and quantitative fashions not associated with observed environmental differences. This variation may represent the influence of minor factors, or of mechanical aggregation.

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