Description of biotope or habitat type
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Laminaria hyperborea and red seaweeds on exposed vertical rock
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Extremely exposed, Very exposed, Exposed, Moderately exposed |
| Tidal streams | Moderately strong (1-3 kn), Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Bedrock |
| Zone | Infralittoral |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m, 5-10 m, 10-20 m |
| Other Features | Vertical 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'
- 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
On exposed coasts with moderately strong to weak tidal currents generally at depths of 0-10m, vertical rock communities dominated by frequent Laminaria hyperborea and its commonly associated red seaweeds Delesseria sanguinea, Cryptopleura ramosa and Plocamium cartilagineum can be found. Within this biotope the jewel anemone Corynactis viridis is frequently found in dense aggregations attached to the vertical rock surface. This biotope contains 5 sub-biotopes, distinguished by their biogeography. On the west coast of Scotland, the Northern Isles and the Isle of Man on extremely exposed coasts a variant of this biotope characterised by frequent Metridium senile and occasional Cylista elegans can be found. Further south on the west coast of Ireland, southern Scotland, Wales, and south west England a second variant characterised by frequent Alcyonium digitatum and occasional Cliona celata can be distinguished. A third variant has been recorded from Northern Ireland characterised by the red seaweeds Lithophyllum and Ptilota gunneri, the sea squirt Dendrodoa grossularia and the bryozoan Membranipora membranacea. South from the Isle of Man, on the Welsh Coast, and on the south west and southern English coasts a fourth variant of this biotope is found, which is characterised by the barnacle Balanus crenatus, which may be more frequent in this sub-biotope, and the rarity of Alcyonium digitatum, a species which is more frequent in other variants. This variant has mainly been recorded in shallow water (0-5m). The final biogeographic variant of this biotope is, as with the previous variant, found on the coasts of Wales and south west England. It can be distinguished from the previous variant by the frequent Diplosoma listerianum and occasional Lissoclinum perforatum, although these species are not always present.
Situation
Open rocky coasts of the south-west, west and north-west.
Temporal variation
No temporal data available
Characterising species
| Taxon | Relative importance of taxon for defining this community (%) | Typical abundance - SACFOR scale | % of core records where taxon was recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corynactis viridis | 5 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Delesseria sanguinea | 5 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Laminaria hyperborea | 5 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Plocamium cartilagineum | 5 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Cryptopleura ramosa | 4 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Alcyonium digitatum | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Caryophyllia smithii | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Dictyota dichotoma | 3 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Corallinaceae | 2 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Asterias rubens | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Botryllus schlosseri | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Metacallophyllis laciniata | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Cancer pagurus | 2 | Rare | 41-60% |
| Clavelina lepadiformis | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Dysidea fragilis | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Hypoglossum hypoglossoides | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Cylista elegans | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Calliostoma zizyphinum | 1 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Corallina officinalis | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Crisiidae | 1 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Erythroglossum laciniatum | 1 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Amphilectus fucorum | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Halichondria panicea | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Kallymenia reniformis | 1 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Marthasterias glacialis | 1 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Pachymatisma johnstonia | 1 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Phyllophora crispa | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Echinus esculentus | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
IR.MIR.KR.LhypVt
Much more species poor, with red algae sparse or absent.Classification history of this biotope or habitat type
| Classification version | Code |
|---|---|
| 1995 | LRK.CAT |