Description of biotope or habitat type
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Mats of Trailliella on infralittoral muddy gravel
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt), Variable (18-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Sheltered, Very sheltered, Extremely sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Muddy gravel; muddy sand |
| 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
Dense loose-lying beds of the 'Trailliella' phase of Bonnemaisonia hamifera may occur in extremely sheltered shallow muddy environments. Beds of this alga are often 10 cm thick but may reach 100 cm at some sites. Other loose-lying algae may also occur such as Audouinella floridula, Phyllophora crispa and species of Derbesia. Often the mud is gravelly or with some cobbles and may be black and anoxic close to the sediment surface. This biotope is widely distributed in lagoons, sea lochs and voes but should only be described as SS.SMp.KSwSS.Tra when a continuous mat is found. It is likely that the infaunal component of this biotope may be considerably modified by the overwhelming quantity of loose-lying algae.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tubificoides benedii | 45 | Abundant | 81-100% |
| Kurtiella bidentata | 19 | Abundant | 81-100% |
| Trailliella intricata | 16 | Common | 61-80% |
| Bonnemaisonia hamifera | 9 | 41-60% | |
| Ascidiella aspersa | 6 | Rare | 41-60% |
| Asterias rubens | 6 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Saccharina latissima | 6 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Mediomastus fragilis | 6 | Common | 81-100% |
| Capitella capitata | 5 | Common | 81-100% |
| Chorda filum | 5 | Rare | 41-60% |
| Pagurus bernhardus | 5 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Pomatoschistus minutus | 5 | Rare | 41-60% |
| Gibbula magus | 4 | 41-60% | |
| Liocarcinus depurator | 4 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Ophiura albida | 4 | 41-60% | |
| Phyllophora crispa | 4 | Rare | 41-60% |
| Carcinus maenas | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Monocorophium acherusicum | 3 | 81-100% | |
| Mya arenaria | 3 | 81-100% | |
| Mytilus edulis | 3 | 81-100% | |
| Protodorvillea kefersteini | 3 | 81-100% | |
| Rhodothamniella floridula | 2 | 21-40% | |
| Arenicola marina | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Cerianthus lloydii | 1 | Occasional | 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.SMp.KSwSS.Tra | Mats of Trailliella on infralittoral muddy gravel |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMp.KSwSS.Tra | Mats of Trailliella on infralittoral muddy gravel |
| 1997 (97.06) | SS.IMX.KSwMx.Tra | Mats of Trailliella on infralittoral muddy gravel |