Description of biotope or habitat type
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Arenicola marina in infralittoral mud
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Very sheltered, Extremely sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Mud |
| Zone | Infralittoral |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m, 5-10 m |
| Other Features |
Biotope origin
| Derived using data from | Various |
| Faunal group | Infauna |
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'
- Predicted extent of the level 3 (for sublittoral rock & deep sea) or 4 (for sublittoral sediment) habitat
Point data based on records in the UK Marine Recorder Snapshot. Predicted habitat extent is from UKSeaMap.
Description
In very shallow, extremely sheltered, very soft muds Arenicola marina may form very conspicuous mounds and casts. This biotope may also contain synaptid holothurians such as Labidoplax media and Leptosynapta bergensis or L. inhaerens. However, these species may be under recorded (possibly due to periodicity in feeding) and are not considered characteristic of this biotope. Other conspicuous fauna may include Carcinus maenas, Asterias rubens and Pagurus bernhardus whilst the scallop Pecten maximus and the turret shell Turritellinella tricarinata may also be present in some areas.
Situation
This biotope typically occurs in waters shallower than about 5 m in sheltered basins of sea lochs and lagoons that may be partially separated from the open sea by tidal narrows or rapids.
Temporal variation
Sediment surfaces may become covered by a diatom film at certain times of the year
Characterising species
| Taxon | Relative importance of taxon for defining this community (%) | Typical abundance - SACFOR scale | % of core records where taxon was recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arenicola marina | 34 | Common | 81-100% |
| Carcinus maenas | 27 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Asterias rubens | 6 | Rare | 61-80% |
| Diatoms - film | 5 | 41-60% | |
| Pagurus bernhardus | 5 | 41-60% | |
| Saccharina latissima | 3 | 41-60% | |
| Liocarcinus depurator | 3 | 41-60% | |
| Gobiidae | 2 | 21-40% | |
| Pecten maximus | 2 | 21-40% | |
| Turritellinella tricarinata | 2 | 21-40% | |
| Chlamys | 1 | 21-40% | |
| Seraphsidae | 1 | 21-40% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
Not applicable or unknown.
Classification history of this biotope or habitat type
| Classification version | Code | Habitat name |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 (15.03) | SS.SMu.IFiMu.Are | Arenicola marina in infralittoral mud |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMu.IFiMu.Are | Arenicola marina in infralittoral mud |
| 1997 (97.06) | SS.IMU.MarMu.AreSyn | Arenicola marina and synaptid holothurians in extremely shallow soft mud |
| 1996 (6.95) | LMU.Are (part) |