Micro-habitats and Associations

Nereidae are known to be free-living or errant polychaetes. Many species of Nereis which live in burrows or are closely associated with rocks construct a mucous-lined tube (Clark, 1959). Species of Nereis typically live in intertidal environments and may be located in the sediments, burrowing beneath rock or living inside hollows or crevices in the rock itself.

This genus of polychaete live in burrows in the rock formed naturally or by prior rock-boring inhabitants. This species of Perenereis does not typically construct a mucous tubing however it can secrete mucous in a burrow-like structure in extreme conditions if no other burrowing environment exists (own research). This mucous burrow acts to protect the organism as it is extremely durable as well as providing a netting in which the polychaete is able to catch prey (Beesley et al., 2000).