| Phylum |
Genus/Species |
Description |
| Annelida |
Aphrodita hastata |
Polychaete often found in Atlantic cod, haddock, and
red hake stomachs; commonly inhabits mud bottoms, or mixed bottoms with high
mud content |
| Scalibregma inflatum |
Polychaete that is an important food source for many
demersal fish; inhabits silty sand substrates |
| Sternaspis scutata |
Burrowing polychaete eaten by winter flounder;
commonly inhabits silty sediments |
| Mollusca |
Arctica islandica(ocean quahog) |
Small- to medium-sized individuals preyed upon by
Atlantic cod; usually inhabits muddy sand bottoms, very abundant in some
localities on the continental shelf such as the southern part of Georges Bank |
| Astarte undata(wavy astarte) |
Most abundant at mid-shelf depths (50-99 m) in sand
and till substrates; not a major prey item of demersal fishes |
| Cerastoderma pinnulatum(northern dwarf cockle) |
Infrequently found in fish stomachs; prefers sandy
substrates, but is also found in other types of substrate |
| Cyclocardia borealis(northern cyclocardia) |
Broadly distributed throughout the region, prefers
sand and till substrates; not common in fish diets |
| Modiolus modiolus(northern horsemussel) |
Largest and most common mussel offshore of New
England, prefers sand and sand-shell substrates |
| Placopecten magellanicus(sea scallop) |
Most abundant on coarse sandy bottoms; juveniles
eaten by some demersal fishes, principally haddock and ocean pout |
| Buccinum spp. |
Four species of whelk of which B. undatum (waved whelk) is by far the most common, typically found at mid- to lower
shelf depths in sand and coarser-grained sediments |
| Neptunea [lyrata] decemcostata(wrinkle whelk) |
Typically inhabits hard bottoms ranging from coarse
sand to gravels at mid- to lower shelf depths |
| Arthropoda |
Ampelisca agassizi |
Tube-dwelling amphipod, the most abundant species of
amphipod in the southwestern half of the region, preferring a sandy substratum;
a common prey item in the diet of many demersal fish |
| Leptocheirus pinguis |
Another tube-dwelling amphipod abundant on sandy
shelf substrates; very important prey species for demersal fish |
| Unciola irrorata |
Another tube-dwelling amphipod important in sands of
Georges Bank; an important prey species for demersal fish |
| Crangon septemspinosa(sevenspine bay shrimp) |
Found in sandy sediments in inshore and shelf waters,
very abundant in certain localities; an important prey item for nearly all
demersal fishes |
| Homarus americanus(American lobster) |
Widely distributed from inshore bays to offshore
canyons, inhabits a variety of substrates |
| Hyas coarctatus(Arctic lyre crab) |
Common throughout the region on muddy and pebbly
bottoms |
| Pagurus spp.(hermit crabs) |
Seven species ubiquitous throughout the region in
nearly all substrate types; preyed upon by demersal fishes |
| Cirolana spp.(isopods) |
At least three species, common on muddy and sandy
bottoms in the GOM and on Georges Bank |
| Echinodermata |
Asterias vulgaris(northern or purple starfish) |
One of the most common species of starfish in the
region, normally found on sandy bottoms; juveniles occasionally found in fish
stomachs |
| Leptasterias spp. |
Several species of starfish that are common
inhabitants on sandy bottoms, very abundant in certain locations; small
specimens occasionally preyed upon by some species of demersal fish |
| Echinarachnius parma(northern sand dollar) |
Most abundant member of the urchin family in the New
England region, especially in some locations on Georges Bank, lives on sand;
a common prey item for flounders, haddock, and Atlantic cod |
| Strongylocentrus droebachiensis(green sea urchin) |
Another ubiquitous echinoid, a hard-bottom dweller;
preyed upon by haddock and American plaice |
| Ophiura spp.(brittle stars) |
At least three species, widely distributed and occur
in most sediment types; common in diets of haddock and American plaice |