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Benthic Invertebrates Associated with a Serpulid Polychaete Assemblage in a Temperate Estuary
Author(s) -
Haines Judith Lynn,
Maurer Don
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
internationale revue der gesamten hydrobiologie und hydrographie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 0020-9309
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.19800650504
Subject(s) - polychaete , benthic zone , biology , harpacticoida , ecology , dominance (genetics) , bay , invertebrate , estuary , temperate climate , bryozoa , taxon , marine invertebrates , species richness , spionidae , oceanography , crustacean , taxonomy (biology) , biochemistry , gene , geology
Hydroides dianthus (Verrill), a serpulid polychaete which secretes calcareous tubes, provides microhabitats for a variety of benthic invertebrates in Delaware Bay. These microhabitats function as biologically generated refuges and physical heterogeneities for at least 54 species. Dominance was measured by the biological index value which yielded 12 taxa that comprised 90% by number of the serpulid assemblage. These taxa included seven polychaetes, two amphipods, Nematoda, Oligochaeta, and Harpacticoida. In addition to the refuges provided by the serpulids, it was concluded that this temperate serpulid assemblage was comparable in function but not scale to calcareous biogenic assemblages in lower latitudes.