The biology of the oyster community and its associated fauna in Delaware Bay

Abstract

The purpose of this account is to describe the composition of the associated invertebrate fauna of Delaware Bay oyster beds, and to determine the effect of salinity, substrate, and season on this fauna. The dependence of the number of species in a bed community on maximum salinity is discussed, together with its temporal variability. The associated oyster fauna of Delaware Bay is very similar to estuaries throughout the world and thus this report may have more than local interest.