Some Aspects of the Specific Habitat Requirements of Ophelia Bicornis (Polychaeta)

Abstract

The discrete habitat requirements of Ophelia bicornis from the Exe estuary are reported in relation to: the influence of tidal activity; the nature of the sandy substratum; the associated meiofauna; the interstitial bacteria; the interstitial water, organic matter and calcareous material; and the interstitial and sand-adsorbed free amino acids. The interrelationships of these features as potential limiting factors in the highly specific littoral distribution of O. bicornis is speculated upon.