Description of biotope or habitat type
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Aphelochaeta marioni and Tubificoides spp. in variable salinity infralittoral mud
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 | Cohesive mud and sandy mud, possibly with shell debris and stones |
| Zone | Infralittoral |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m, 5-10 m |
| Other Features |
Biotope origin
| Derived using data from | Various |
| Faunal group | Infauna |
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
Variable salinity cohesive muddy sediment (sometimes with some coarser material) dominated by the polychaete Aphelochaeta marioni (or other Aphelochaeta species e.g. A. amplivasatus) and the oligochaete Tubificoides spp. These taxa are generally accompanied by Nephtys hombergii whilst the polychaetes Capitella capitata and Melinna palmata may also occur in high numbers in some areas. Other members of the cirratulid polychaete group, e.g. Chaetozone zetlandica and Tharyx spp. may also occur in high numbers, sometimes replacing A. marioni as the dominant polychaete. However, there is still inconsistency in the identification of the cirratulid group which is further compounded by fragmentation during sample processing. This biotope is very common in stable muddy environments and may extend from reduced salinity to fully marine conditions.
Situation
This biotope may also be found in conjunction with SS.SMu.ISaMu.NhomMac.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polychaeta | 71 | 21-40% | |
| Aphelochaeta marioni | 33 | Abundant | 61-80% |
| Cardiidae | 18 | 1-20% | |
| Nephtys hombergii | 9 | Common | 61-80% |
| Tharyx | 9 | Abundant | 21-40% |
| Crepidula fornicata | 7 | 1-20% | |
| Tubificoides swirencoides | 7 | Common | 41-60% |
| Carcinus maenas | 4 | Rare | 1-20% |
| Tubificoides benedii | 4 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Tubificoides pseudogaster | 3 | Common | 21-40% |
| Capitella capitata | 2 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Chaetozone zetlandica | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Exogone naidina | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Melinna palmata | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Streblospio shrubsolii | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Cerastoderma edule | 1 | 21-40% | |
| Abra nitida | 1 | Common | 21-40% |
| Ampharete | 1 | Common | 21-40% |
| Mediomastus fragilis | 1 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Nephtys | 1 | Common | 21-40% |
| Phoronis muelleri | 1 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Polydora ciliata | 1 | Common | 21-40% |
| Pygospio elegans | 1 | 21-40% | |
| Scoloplos armiger | 1 | 21-40% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
SS.SMu.SMuVS.NhomTubi
The current biotope may be more diverse version of SS.SMu.SMuVS.NhomTubi and can be distinguished by the abundance of A. marioni, terebellids and the stability of the sediment in SS.SMu.SMuVS.AphTubi, together with the importance of associated species such as Diastylis rathkei typica in SS.SMu.SMuVS.NhomTubi.
SS.SMx.SMxVS.CreMed
It may be separated from SS.SMx.SMxVS.CreMed by the relative abundances of the slipper limpet Crepidula fornicata in addition to A. marioni.
SS.SMx.SMxVS.AphPol
In areas of mixed sediment A. marioni may also occur in high numbers. In this case it may be difficult to separate SS.SMu.SMuVS.AphTubi from SS.SMx.SMxVS.AphPol requiring classification on sediment characteristics and associated species in addition to the abundance of A. marioni.
SS.SMu.ISaMu.MelMagThy
Where SS.SMu.SMuVS.AphTubi occurs in polyhaline waters it may grade into the biotope SS.SMu.ISaMu.MelMagThy as the salinity increases e.g. in the Fal estuary (Allen et al. 2002).Classification history of this biotope or habitat type
| Classification version | Code | Habitat name |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 (15.03) | SS.SMu.SMuVS.AphTubi | Aphelochaeta marioni and Tubificoides spp. in variable salinity infralittoral mud |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMu.SMuVS.AphTubi | Aphelochaeta marioni and Tubificoides spp. in variable salinity infralittoral mud |
| 1997 (97.06) | SS.IMU.EstMu.AphTub | Aphelochaeta marioni and Tubificoides spp. in variable salinity infralittoral mud |
| 1996 (6.95) | IMU.PhoSco |