Description of biotope or habitat type
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Ostrea edulis beds on shallow sublittoral muddy mixed sediment
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Sheltered, Very sheltered, Extremely sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Sandy mud with some shells and occasionally 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
Dense beds of the oyster Ostrea edulis can occur on muddy fine sand or sandy mud mixed sediments. There may be considerable quantities of dead oyster shell making up a substantial portion of the substratum. The clumps of dead shells and oysters can support large numbers of Ascidiella aspersa and Ascidiella scabra. Sponges such as Halichondria bowerbanki may also be present. Several conspicuously large polychaetes, such as Chaetopterus variopedatus and terebellids, as well as additional suspension-feeding polychaetes such as Myxicola infundibulum and Sabella pavonina may be important in distinguishing this biotope, whilst the opisthobranch Philine aperta may also be frequent in some areas. A turf of seaweeds such as Plocamium cartilagineum, Nitophyllum punctatum and Spyridia filamentosa may also be present. This biotope description may need expansion to account for oyster beds in England.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ostrea edulis | 16 | Common | 81-100% |
| Ascidiella aspersa | 8 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Chaetopterus variopedatus | 5 | Occasional | 81-100% |
| Pagurus bernhardus | 5 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Plocamium cartilagineum | 5 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Sabella pavonina | 5 | Common | 41-60% |
| Aplidium punctum | 4 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Halichondria bowerbanki | 4 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Myxicola infundibulum | 4 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Spyridia filamentosa | 4 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Seraphsidae | 4 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Ascidiella scabra | 3 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Amphilectus fucorum | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Nitophyllum punctatum | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Dictyota dichotoma | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Saccharina latissima | 2 | Rare | 41-60% |
| Philine aperta | 2 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Corallinaceae | 1 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Balanus crenatus | 1 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Cliona celata | 1 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Compsothamnion thuioides | 1 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Lomentaria clavellosa | 1 | Rare | 41-60% |
| Carradoriella elongata | 1 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Spirobranchus triqueter | 1 | Occasional | 41-60% |
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.SMx.IMx.Ost | Ostrea edulis beds on shallow sublittoral muddy mixed sediment |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMx.IMx.Ost | Ostrea edulis beds on shallow sublittoral muddy mixed sediment |
| 1997 (97.06) | SS.IMX.Oy.Ost | Ostrea edulis beds on shallow sublittoral muddy sediment |