Description of biotope or habitat type
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Sublittoral mussel beds (on sublittoral sediment)
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Moderately exposed, Sheltered, Very sheltered, Extremely sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Strong (3-6 kn), Moderately strong (1-3 kn), Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Muddy sand, sandy muds, gravel and pebbles |
| Zone | Infralittoral - lower, Circalittoral |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m, 5-10 m, 10-20 m, 20-30 m |
| Other Features |
Biotope origin
| Derived using data from | Video |
| Faunal group | Epifauna/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
Sublittoral mussel beds comprised of either the horse mussel Modiolus modiolus or the common mussel Mytilus edulis. These communities may be sublittoral extensions of littoral reefs or exist independently. Found in a variety of habitats ranging from sheltered estuaries and marine inlets to open coasts and offshore areas. Mussel beds can be found on a range of substrata, although due to the stabilising effect such communities have on the substratum muddy mixed sediments are typical. A diverse range of epibiota and infauna often exists in these communities.
Situation
No situation data available.
Temporal variation
No temporal variation data available.
Characterising species
| Taxon | Relative importance of taxon for defining this community (%) | Typical abundance - SACFOR scale | % of core records where taxon was recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modiolus modiolus | 20 | Abundant | 81-100% |
| Mytilus edulis | 16 | Super abundant | 21-40% |
| Oligochaeta | 10 | Abundant | 21-40% |
| Ophiothrix fragilis | 10 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Asterias rubens | 8 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Gammarus salinus | 8 | Super abundant | 21-40% |
| Nemertea | 7 | Abundant | 61-80% |
| Pagurus bernhardus | 6 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Echinus esculentus | 6 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Buccinum undatum | 4 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Aequipecten opercularis | 3 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Harmothoe impar | 3 | Abundant | 21-40% |
| Spirobranchus triqueter | 3 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Cirripedia | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Turbellaria | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Corallinaceae | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Alcyonium digitatum | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Balanus crenatus | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Capitella capitata | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Crossaster papposus | 2 | Rare | 41-60% |
| Eteone longa | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Heteromastus filiformis | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Hyas araneus | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Psamathe fusca | 2 | Super abundant | 21-40% |
| Ophiocomina nigra | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Phycodrys rubens | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Spirobranchus | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Spirobranchus triqueter | 2 | Abundant | 21-40% |
| Anthozoa | 1 | Abundant | 21-40% |
| Antedon bifida | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Balanus balanus | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Corella parallelogramma | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Dendrodoa grossularia | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Steromphala cineraria | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Harmothoe imbricata | 1 | Super abundant | 21-40% |
| Liocarcinus depurator | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Scoloplos armiger | 1 | Abundant | 21-40% |
| Urticina felina | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Nucella lapillus | 1 | Common | 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.SBR.SMus | Sublittoral mussel beds (on sublittoral sediment) |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SBR.SMus | Sublittoral mussel beds (on sublittoral sediment) |
| 1997 (97.06) | SS.CR.SCR.Mod | Sheltered Modiolus (horse-mussel) beds |