Assesses whether the low abundance of M. liliana on Te Tau bank (Manukan Harbour, New Zealand) was due to the presence of B. syrtis, or to some reaction to the sediment itself. Juvenile M. liliana did not appear to have a strong aversion to settling and burrowing in sediments from Te Tau bank. Avoidance of live B. syrtis appears to be an avoidance of the worms themselves rather than a response to the physical presence of their tubes.