Description of biotope or habitat type
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Saccharina latissima, Gracilaria gracilis and brown seaweeds on full salinity infralittoral sediment
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt), Variable (18-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Sheltered, Very sheltered, Extremely sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Moderately strong (1-3 kn), Weak (>1 kn) |
| Substratum | Stoney sediment |
| Zone | Infralittoral |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m, 5-10 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
Shallow kelp community found on muddy sand, in moderately exposed or sheltered, fully marine conditions, with weak tidal currents. The community is characterised by a reasonable covering of Saccharina latissima. Frequent Chorda filum may also form part of the canopy although not at the abundance in SS.SMp.KSwSS.SlatCho. Beneath the canopy the community is characterised by the red algae Gracilaria gracilis, and various brown algal species particularly Dictyota dichotoma. Other members of the understory may include a variety of other filamentous and foliose red algae in particular Ceramium nodulosum and the green alga Ulva. The muddy sand substrate supports a variety of faunal species including polychaetes such as Lanice conchilega and gastropods such as Tritia reticulata.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gracilaria gracilis | 15 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Saccharina latissima | 11 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Ulva | 8 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Chorda filum | 6 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Carcinus maenas | 4 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Lanice conchilega | 4 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Ceramium nodulosum | 3 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Dictyota dichotoma | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Tritia reticulata | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Polyides rotunda | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Rhodophyllis divaricata | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Corallinaceae | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Cerianthus lloydii | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Dudresnaya verticillata | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Halarachnion ligulatum | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Pagurus bernhardus | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
SS.SMp.KSwSS.SlatGraVS
SS.SMp.KSwSS.SlatGraVS has a more sparse covering of S. latissima, and a greater number of sponges and ascidians.
SS.SMp.KSwSS.SlatCho
Chorda filum is much more prominant in SS.SMp.KSwSS.SlatCho than in the present biotope.Classification history of this biotope or habitat type
| Classification version | Code | Habitat name |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 (15.03) | SS.SMp.KSwSS.LsacGraFS | Laminaria saccharina, Gracilaria gracilis and brown seaweeds on full salinity infralittoral sediment |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMp.KSwSS.LsacGraFS | Laminaria saccharina, Gracilaria gracilis and brown seaweeds on full salinity infralittoral sediment |