Table 3.1 Benthic infauna collected in grab samples
**Any tables or figures not included on this site are available in hard copy from the Center for Marine Science at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington**
| Taxa | Overall mean abundance | Comments |
| Acari | Mites | |
| Acarid sp. | 0.008 | |
| Amphipoda | Small crustaceans, brood their young | |
| Ampelisca sp. | 0.008 | |
| Ampelisca verrilli | 0.008 | Abundant in coarse sands, intertidal to 50m. Annual life cycle |
| Amphipoda sp. | 0.076 | |
| Ampithoe sp. | 0.025 | Estuarine and marine species, some burrowing and some epibenthic. |
| Corophium sp. | 0.017 | Tube building, living in muddy bottoms |
| Corophium volutator | 0.008 | Tube building, living in estuarine mud flats. |
| Cyathura sp. | 0.051 | Common estuarine genus |
| Gammarus mucronatus | 0.051 | Common estuarine species down to 4ppt, benthic and pelagic |
| Gammarus palustris | 0.051 | Benthic, in estuaries and salt marshes, found among vegetation. |
| Gammarus sp. | 0.017 | |
| Gammarus tigrinus | 0.034 | Lives mainly among debris in the upper estuary |
| Lembos smithi | 0.008 | Intertidal and deeper, in areas with moderate currents, among structure. |
| Lembos websterti | 0.008 | Associated with algae in areas with moderate current, subtidal. |
| Maera sp. | 0.025 | Benthic and epibnehtic, in mud and along rocky shorelines. |
| Monoculodes sp. | 0.178 | Lives in fine sands, full marine and brackish. |
| Talitridae sp. | 0.008 | |
| Bivalvia | Clams, mussels, oysters and scallops | |
| Bivalvia sp. | 0.169 | |
| Corbicula sp. | 0.059 | Asian clam (introduced), more common in fresh or brackish areas |
| Macoma mitchelli | 0.008 | Rosy clam |
| Mulinia sp. | 0.042 | Dwarf surf clam |
| Rangia cuneata | 0.017 | Mud or muddy sand, more common in brackish or fresh areas |
| Tellinidae sp. | 0.034 | |
| Branchiopoda | Water fleas, includes the genus Daphnia | |
| Cladocera sp. | 0.051 | |
| Decapoda | shrimp, crabs, crayfish | |
| Palaemonetes pugio | 0.008 | Grass shrimp, widespread and common estuarine species |
| Uca sp. | 0.017 | Fiddler crabs, benthic burrowers |
| Fish | ||
| Juvenile flatfish | 0.008 | |
| Larval fish | 0.008 | Unable to identify |
| Leiostomus xanthurus | 0.017 | Juvenile spot |
| Gastropoda | Snails | |
| Gastropoda sp. | 0.068 | |
| Insecta | ||
| Ceratopogonida sp. | 0.008 | Biting midges, "no-see-ums" |
| Chaoborus albatus | 0.008 | |
| Chironomidae sp. | 0.119 | Large family of non-biting flies, mostly benthic larvae. |
| Chironomus sp. | 0.008 | Genus of chironomids. |
| Collembola sp. | 0.008 | Spring tail |
| Diamesinea sp. | 0.017 | Subfamily of chironomids. |
| Dicrotendipes sp. | 0.008 | Genus of chironomids. |
| Diptera sp. | 0.008 | Flies, mosquitoes, and midges |
| Ephoron leukon | 0.008 | Lives in u-shaped burrows in streams. |
| insect sp. | 0.067 | |
| Palpomyia sp. | 0.042 | Genus of biting midges. |
| Polymitarcyidae sp. | 0.008 | Burrowing larvae this is the group E. leukon belongs to |
| Polypedilum sp. | 0.169 | Chironomid larvae (27 species in the southeast) |
| Procladius sp. | 0.229 | Chironomid larvae. |
| Tanypodinae sp. | 0.059 | Chironomid larvae. |
| Tipulidae sp. | 0.008 | Crane flies (large group, 60 genera) |
| Isopoda | Crustaceans, group includes fish lice and pill bugs | |
| Chiridotea almyra | 0.008 | Common genera, associated with sandy bottoms, burrowing |
| Edotea sp. | 0.051 | Common species, frequently found with algae |
| Edotea triloba | 0.025 | Common species, frequently found with algae |
| Erichsonella sp. | 0.008 | Often associated with structure |
| Eusymmerus sp. | 0.025 | |
| Idoteidae sp. | 0.008 | |
| Isopoda sp. | 0.008 | |
| Mysidea | Shrimp-like crustaceans, important in fish diets, epibenthic/pelagic | |
| Mysidae sp. | 0.008 | |
| Neomysis sp. | 0.008 | |
| Nemertea | Ribbon worms, benthic predators | |
| Nemertea sp. | 0.051 | |
| Oligochaeta | Group of worms that includes earthworms, more common in brackish and freshwater areas | |
| Oligochaeta sp. | 0.551 | |
| Ostracoda | Small crustaceans that include planktonic and benthic groups | |
| Ostracoda sp. | 0.076 | |
| Platyhelminthes | Flatworms, most are benthic predators | |
| Platyhelminth sp. | 0.008 | |
| Polychaeta | Bristle worms, large group with many estruarine and marine species | |
| Aricidea sp. | 0.008 | Thread worms |
| Aricidea suecica | 0.008 | Thread worms |
| Capitellidae sp. | 0.042 | Family of deposit feeding, burrowing worms |
| Caulloriella sp. | 0.008 | Surface burrowing deposit feeder |
| Cossuridae sp. | 0.017 | |
| Heteromastus filiformis | 0.034 | Burrowing deposit feeder in the family Capitellidae |
| Hobsonia florida | 0.008 | Tube-dwelling worm, deposit feeder |
| Laeonereis culveri | 0.042 | Species of clam worms |
| Laeonereis sp. | 0.051 | |
| Maldanidea sp. | 0.008 | Bamboo worms, tube dwelling deposit feeders |
| Maranzellaria sp. | 0.110 | Species of Spionidae, tolerant of low salinities |
| Maranzellaria virdis | 0.271 | Species of Spionidae, tolerant of low salinities |
| Mediomastus ambiseta | 0.203 | Burrowing deposit feeder belonging to the family Capitellidae |
| Mediomastus californiensis | 0.127 | Burrowing deposit feeder belonging to the family Capitellidae |
| Mediomastus spp. | 0.305 | Burrowing deposit feeder belonging to the famiy Capitellidae |
| Neanthes succinea | 0.017 | Species of clamworm, benthic predator |
| Nereidae sp. | 0.016 | Clamworms |
| Nereis falsa | 0.051 | Species of clamworm, benthic predator |
| Nereis sp. | 0.068 | Species of clamworm |
| Ophelia denticulata | 0.008 | Burrower |
| Phyllodocidae sp. | 0.008 | Paddle worms |
| Polychaeta sp. A | 0.127 | |
| Polychaeta sp. B | 0.008 | |
| Polychaete sp. | 0.008 | |
| Polydora socialis | 0.008 | Species of Spionidae |
| Polydora sp. | 0.017 | Species of Spionidae |
| Scolelepis sp. | 0.008 | |
| Spionidae sp. | 0.110 | Tube-dwelling deposit feeders, facultative predators and filteres |
| Streblospio benedicti | 0.051 | Species of Spionidae |
| Terebellidae sp. | 0.017 | Partchment tube worms, deposit feeders |
| Sipunculid | Peanut worms | |
| Sipunculid sp. | 0.008 | |
| Tanaidacea sp. | 0.034 | Small crustaceans, many living in tubes |
|
Back to Table of Contents for 1996-1997 Annual Report |
| Back to Lower Cape Fear River Program Homepage |