Description of biotope or habitat type
To understand more about what this page is describing, see How to use the classification. See also How to cite.
Virgularia mirabilis and Ophiura spp. with Pecten maximus on circalittoral sandy or shelly mud
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Moderately exposed, Sheltered, Very sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Sandy mud; shelly and gravelly mud |
| Zone | Circalittoral |
| Depth Band | 5-10 m, 10-20 m, 20-30 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
Circalittoral fine sandy mud may contain Virgularia mirabilis and Ophiura spp. A variety of species may occur, and species composition at a particular site may relate, to some extent, to the proportions of the major sediment size fractions. Several species are common to most sites including Virgularia mirabilis which is present in moderate numbers, Ophiura albida and Ophiura ophiura which are often quite common, and Pecten maximus which is usually only present in low numbers. Virgularia mirabilis is usually accompanied by occasional Cerianthus lloydii, Liocarcinus depurator and Pagurus bernhardus. Amphiura chiajei and Amphiura filiformis may occur in some examples of this biotope. Polychaetes and bivalves are generally the main components of the infauna, although the nemerteans, Edwardsia claparedii, Phoronis muelleri and Labidoplax buski may also be widespread. Of the polychaetes Goniada maculata, Nephtys incisa, Prionospio cirrifera, Chaetozone setosa, Notomastus latericeus and Owenia fusiformis are often the most widespread species whilst Myrtea spinifera, Lucinoma borealis, Kurtiella bidentata, Abra alba and Varicorbula gibba are typical bivalves in this biotope. This biotope is primarily identified on the basis of its epifauna and may be an epibiotic overlay over other closely related biotopes such as SS.SMu.CFiMu.SpnMeg, SS.SMu.CSaMu.AfilKurAnit and SS.SMu.CSaMu.AfilEten.
Situation
Such sediments are very common in sea lochs, often occurring shallower than the finest mud or in somewhat more exposed parts of the lochs.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgularia mirabilis | 24 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Asterias rubens | 11 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Cerianthus lloydii | 11 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Pagurus bernhardus | 7 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Liocarcinus depurator | 6 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Pecten maximus | 6 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Ophiura albida | 5 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Ophiura ophiura | 4 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Turritellinella tricarinata | 3 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Amphiura filiformis | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Arenicola marina | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Lanice conchilega | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Amphiura chiajei | 1 | Common | 21-40% |
| Chaetopterus variopedatus | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Seraphsidae | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Echinus esculentus | 1 | Rare | 21-40% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
SS.SMu.CFiMu.SpnMeg
SS.SMu.CFiMu.SpnMeg is found on finer muddier sediment and may be characterised by frequent Nephrops norvegicus and other megafaunal species.
SS.SMu.CSaMu.VirOphPmax.HAs
SS.SMu.CSaMu.VirOphPmax.HAs has greater quantities of stones and shells on the surface which give rise to more sessile epibenthic species and distinguish this sub biotope.Classification history of this biotope or habitat type
| Classification version | Code | Habitat name |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 (15.03) | SS.SMu.CSaMu.VirOphPmax | Virgularia mirabilis and Ophiura spp. with Pecten maximus on circalittoral sandy or shelly mud |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMu.CSaMu.VirOphPmax | Virgularia mirabilis and Ophiura spp. with Pecten maximus on circalittoral sandy or shelly mud |
| 1997 (97.06) | SS.CMS.VirOph | Virgularia mirabilis and Ophiura spp. on circalittoral sandy or shelly mud |