Description of biotope or habitat type
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Lithothamnion corallioides maerl beds on infralittoral muddy gravel
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Sheltered, Very sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Moderately strong (1-3 kn), Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Muddy maerl gravel |
| Zone | Infralittoral |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m, 5-10 m, 10-20 m |
| Other Features |
Biotope origin
| Derived using data from | Various |
| Faunal group | Epifauna |
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
Live maerl beds in sheltered, silty conditions which are dominated by Lithothamnion corallioides with a variety of foliose and filamentous seaweeds. Live maerl is at least common but there may be noticeable amounts of dead maerl gravel and pebbles. Other species of maerl, such as Phymatolithon calcareum and Phymatolithon purpureum, may also occur as a less abundant component. Species of seaweed such as Dictyota dichotoma, Halarachnion ligulatum. and Ulva spp. are often present, although are not restricted to this biotope, whereas Dudresnaya verticillata tends not to occur on other types of maerl beds. The anemones Anemonia viridis and Cerianthus lloydii, the polychaetes Notomastus latericeus and Caulleriella alata, the isopod Janira maculosa and the bivalve Hiatella arctica are typically found in SS.SMp.Mrl.Lcor where as Echinus esculentus tends to occur more in other types of maerl. The seaweeds Saccharina latissima and Chorda filum may also be present in some habitats. SS.SMp.Mrl.Lcor has a south-western distribution in Britain and Ireland. Sheltered, stable, fully saline maerl beds in the north of Great Britain (where L. corallioides has not been confirmed to occur) may need to be described as an analogous biotope to SS.SMp.Mrl.Lcor (see SS.SMp.Mrl.Pcal).
Situation
No situation data available.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lithothamnion corallioides | 28 | Abundant | 81-100% |
| Mediomastus fragilis | 12 | 81-100% | |
| Nematoda | 11 | 81-100% | |
| Asterias rubens | 6 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Caulleriella alata | 6 | 61-80% | |
| Hiatella arctica | 6 | 81-100% | |
| Janira maculosa | 6 | 81-100% | |
| Notomastus latericeus | 6 | 81-100% | |
| Polyplacophora | 5 | 61-80% | |
| Dictyota dichotoma | 5 | Common | 41-60% |
| Gari tellinella | 5 | 61-80% | |
| Glycera lapidum | 5 | 61-80% | |
| Psamathe fusca | 5 | 61-80% | |
| Hilbigneris gracilis | 5 | 61-80% | |
| Sphaerosyllis bulbosa | 5 | 61-80% | |
| Anemonia viridis | 4 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Cerianthus lloydii | 4 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Halarachnion ligulatum | 4 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Amphipholis squamata | 3 | 61-80% | |
| Chorda filum | 3 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Dudresnaya verticillata | 3 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Gibbula magus | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Liocarcinus depurator | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Marthasterias glacialis | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Pagurus bernhardus | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Aonides paucibranchiata | 2 | 61-80% | |
| Caprella acanthifera | 2 | 61-80% | |
| Harmothoe impar | 2 | 61-80% | |
| Saccharina latissima | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Microdeutopus versiculatus | 2 | 61-80% | |
| Kurtiella bidentata | 2 | 61-80% | |
| Nannonyx goesii | 2 | 61-80% | |
| Parvicardium scabrum | 2 | 61-80% | |
| Pholoe inornata | 2 | 21-40% | |
| Pisione remota | 2 | 21-40% | |
| Pista cristata | 2 | 61-80% | |
| Protodorvillea kefersteini | 2 | 61-80% | |
| Seraphsidae | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Phymatolithon calcareum | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Ulva | 2 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Lanice conchilega | 1 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Liocarcinus corrugatus | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Pecten maximus | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
SS.SMp.Mrl.Pcal.R
SS.SMp.Mrl.Pcal.R occurs in less stable environments.Classification history of this biotope or habitat type
| Classification version | Code | Habitat name |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 (15.03) | SS.SMp.Mrl.Lcor | Lithothamnion corallioides maerl beds on infralittoral muddy gravel |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMp.Mrl.Lcor | Lithothamnion corallioides maerl beds on infralittoral muddy gravel |
| 1997 (97.06) | SS.IMX.MrlMx.Lcor | Lithothamnion corallioides maerl beds on infralittoral muddy gravel |