THE-SEA BOTTOM
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67
-mud such as the Sipunculids, which have leatherybodies,
one end of which can be drawn out into—a long —proboscis,
a feature also of the beaùtilyj coloured Nemertines, which
have soft and very extensile bodies, which often break ;into
pieces when handled.
The briètle-worms are cominonest
of all, and include many of the kinds we have already
mentioned "as well as others only found .in. this Eregion.
_
The most remarkable of these is the-peculiar tube-dwelling
<
Chætopterus, which lives in“ sand or mud occupying a
parchment-like tube.
In the middle of its body are
three
broad segments which beat rhythmicay—even when
tac—hed from the rest of the body—and maintain a steady—
current of water through the tube.
"
'
'
"
'
"
Comm0nest of all are crustaceans of all sizes.
One of the
bamacles, Scalpellum, attaches itself to hydroids and is
remarkable in that the largespecimens are all female, the
males being minute creatures which live attachedto the
Various ghost-shrimps and many' members of
the prawn and lobster family are common— on the bottom.
Of the
latter “may be mentioned the Norway lobster'
(Nejbkroÿ5), which lives on muddy bottoms (Plate113),
and
the majestic rock lobster (Palinums) With ‘its;handsome
brown, sculpturedshell but-without the large claws of the
common.lobster (Plate 114).
Thereare.also squat—lobsters,
such
the small Galathea‘and the
Munida, _which
have lOng claws and broad, attened bodies, the ‘ tail,
bent“ under the body, being straightened outior
use in swimming.
Various kinds of hermit crabS scavenge
over
the sea. bottom.
Of the numerous crabs, there are
the large red spiny spider crab (laia), the largest and most
heavily arrhoured of the spider crabs, and, in more northern
waters, thesomewbat similar northern stone crab (Lithodes),
which is stone grey in colour, and innumerable smaller
_
kinds, some of which
live in sand like the
'
67
-mud such as the Sipunculids, which have leatherybodies,
one end of which can be drawn out into—a long —proboscis,
a feature also of the beaùtilyj coloured Nemertines, which
have soft and very extensile bodies, which often break ;into
pieces when handled.
The briètle-worms are cominonest
of all, and include many of the kinds we have already
mentioned "as well as others only found .in. this Eregion.
_
The most remarkable of these is the-peculiar tube-dwelling
<
Chætopterus, which lives in“ sand or mud occupying a
parchment-like tube.
In the middle of its body are
three
broad segments which beat rhythmicay—even when
tac—hed from the rest of the body—and maintain a steady—
current of water through the tube.
"
'
'
"
'
"
Comm0nest of all are crustaceans of all sizes.
One of the
bamacles, Scalpellum, attaches itself to hydroids and is
remarkable in that the largespecimens are all female, the
males being minute creatures which live attachedto the
Various ghost-shrimps and many' members of
the prawn and lobster family are common— on the bottom.
Of the
latter “may be mentioned the Norway lobster'
(Nejbkroÿ5), which lives on muddy bottoms (Plate113),
and
the majestic rock lobster (Palinums) With ‘its;handsome
brown, sculpturedshell but-without the large claws of the
common.lobster (Plate 114).
Thereare.also squat—lobsters,
such
the small Galathea‘and the
Munida, _which
have lOng claws and broad, attened bodies, the ‘ tail,
bent“ under the body, being straightened outior
use in swimming.
Various kinds of hermit crabS scavenge
over
the sea. bottom.
Of the numerous crabs, there are
the large red spiny spider crab (laia), the largest and most
heavily arrhoured of the spider crabs, and, in more northern
waters, thesomewbat similar northern stone crab (Lithodes),
which is stone grey in colour, and innumerable smaller
_
kinds, some of which
live in sand like the