Description of biotope or habitat type
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Styela gelatinosa, Pseudamussium peslutrae and solitary ascidians on sheltered deep circalittoral muddy sediment
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Very sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Weak (>1 kn) |
| Substratum | Mud with terrigenous debris |
| Zone | Circalittoral |
| Depth Band | 50-100 m |
| Other Features |
Biotope origin
| Derived using data from | Video |
| 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
This biotope is known only from deep water in Loch Goil (Clyde sea lochs) in fine mud at 65 m with terrigenous debris. Large numbers of solitary ascidians, including Styela gelatinosa, Ascidia conchilega, Corella parallelogramma and Ascidiella spp., are characteristic of this biotope together with the bivalve Pseudamussium peslutrae. Terebellid worms, the bivalve Abra alba and the polychaete Glycera tridactyla may also occur. It is possibly an ice age relict biotope.
Situation
No situation data available.
Temporal variation
No temporal data available.
Characterising species
| Taxon | Typical abundance - SACFOR scale | % of core records where taxon was recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Abra alba | Occasional | 81-100% |
| Ascidiella aspersa | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Ascidiella scabra | Abundant | 81-100% |
| Corella parallelogramma | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Glycera tridactyla | 81-100% | |
| Panningia hyndmani | Rare | 81-100% |
| Pseudamussium peslutrae | Common | 81-100% |
| Seraphsidae | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Styela gelatinosa | Frequent | 81-100% |
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.SMu.OMu.StyPse | Styela gelatinosa, Pseudamussium septemradiatum and solitary ascidians on sheltered deep circalittoral muddy sediment |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMu.OMu.StyPse | Styela gelatinosa, Pseudamussium septemradiatum and solitary ascidians on sheltered deep circalittoral muddy sediment |
| 1997 (97.06) | SS.COS.Sty | Styela gelatinosa and other solitary ascidians on very sheltered deep circalittoral muddy sediment |