The ecology of the Tamar estuary. VII. Observations on the interstitial salinity of intertidal muds in the estuarine habitat of Nereis diversicolor

Abstract

The polychaete Nereis diversicolor F. O. Müller is one of the most characteristic elements of the brackish-water fauna of north-western Europe, and inhabits an extremely wide range of salinities. As a background for comparative physiological studies of chloride regulation in worms from different parts of the geographical range, the writer has attempted to describe the salinities and the variations in salinity endured by populations of N. diversicolor in eco-logically distinct and geographically well separated areas. Three principal environments have been studied: