Nephtys longosetosa Örsted 1842

N. longosetosa breeds from January to early spring and seems to have planktonic larvae. The species is a carnivorous predator, feeding on small invertebrates (Wolff, 1973; Fauchald & Jumars, 1979; Olive & Morgan, 1991).

Eastern Arctic to Massachusetts

The species occurs in the subtidal zone of the western Wadden Sea, in the shallow waters along the coast and in the Southern Bight down to a depth of 50 m. N. longosetosa is also common at the Dogger Bank, but is absent from the central Oyster Ground. It has not been observed in the Delta area.

infralittoral of the Gulf and estuary

This species is reported from a wide variety of sediments, e.g. gravel to coarse sand, on oyster banks and among tubes of Lanice conchilega, in the study area it shares a preference for the fine to medium sand with N. cirrosa. In this respect N. longosetosa clearly differs from N. hombergii, which seems to prefer muddier substrates.

A slender nephtyid, resembling N. cirrosa macroscopically, but differing from it by the presence of dorsal cirri and by details of the parapodial lobes and gills. The body measures up to 150 mm in length with 120 segments. It is cream-coloured to colourless (Hartmann-Schröder, 1971; Sips, 1988; Hayward & Ryland, 1990; Rainer, 1991).