Local Distribution and Habitats
Perenereis are a strictly marine taxa. They are predominantly found in rocky intertidal areas (own research) but can occupy some rocky environments offshore (Beesley et al., 2000). This species occupies burrows and crevices of boulders, small rocks and coral rubble where an abundance of food material is available for consumption - typically algae-covered boulders provide a sufficient habitat (own research).
This species of polychaete tend to occupy rocks in mid-intertidal regions in greater abundance. A small intertidal abundance research task was undertaken yielding the following results:
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High intertidal
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Mid intertidal
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Low intertidal
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Average number of worms per rock
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1.5**
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11.5**
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5.5**
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**shows significant difference between the average number of worms per rock and positioning of the rock along the shoreline (df=4, p<0.1)
A study undertaken by Caron et al. (1993) identifies that mature worms migrate to lower parts of the intertidal zone from their juvenile home high on the shore. With this information it is not surprising that larger worms are found lower in the intertidal region.
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