Description of biotope or habitat type
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Ceramium sp. and piddocks on eulittoral fossilised peat
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Moderately exposed |
| Tidal streams | |
| Substratum | Peat |
| Zone | Eulittoral |
| Depth Band | |
| Other Features | Soft rock |
Download comparative physical and biological data. The comparative tables enable a rapid comparison of the species composition and principal physical characteristics between a given set of biotopes.
- Records used to define the biotope (core records)
- Other records assigned to this biotope, marked as 'certain'
- Other records assigned to this biotope, marked as 'uncertain'
Point data based on records in the UK Marine Recorder Snapshot.
Description
Outcrops of fossilised peat in the eulittoral are soft enough to allow a variety of piddocks such as Barnea candida and Petricolaria pholadiformis to bore into them. The surface of the peat can be characterised by a dense algal mat, predominantly the red seaweed Ceramium spp. and with the green seaweeds Ulva lactuca and Ulva intestinalis. Damp areas in the algal mat are covered by aggregations of the polychaetes Lanice conchilega and Polydora sp. The crabs Carcinus maenas and Cancer pagurus occur in crevices in the peat. Small pools on the peat may contain hydroids, such as Obelia longissima and Kirchenpaueria pinnata, the brown alga Dictyota dichotoma and the crustacean Crangon crangon. Description derived largely from sites in north Norfolk and this community could possibly be found on other "soft" substrata. Further records of this community are required in order to validate the description.
Situation
More records required
Temporal variation
Unknown.
Characterising species
| Taxon | Relative importance of taxon for defining this community (%) | Typical abundance - SACFOR scale | % of core records where taxon was recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulva lactuca | 20 | Common | 81-100% |
| Lanice conchilega | 19 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Ulva intestinalis | 13 | Common | 61-80% |
| Petricolaria pholadiformis | 13 | Common | 61-80% |
| Polydora | 11 | Common | 61-80% |
| Barnea candida | 6 | Common | 21-40% |
| Carcinus maenas | 6 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Obelia longissima | 6 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Ceramium | 1 | Common | 1-20% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
LR.MLR.BF.Fser.Pid
Occurs in similar physical conditions, but the soft rock allows a Fucus serratus community to develop instead of the ephemeral seaweeds of CR.MCR.SfR.Pid.Classification history of this biotope or habitat type
| Classification version | Code |
|---|---|
| 1996 (6.95) | MLR.R.Pid |
| 1995 | LRK.PID.PEAT |
Photos
