Description of biotope or habitat type
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Littoral Sabellaria honeycomb worm reefs
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Exposed, Moderately exposed |
| Tidal streams | |
| Substratum | Boulders; cobbles; pebbles; sand; bedrock |
| Zone | Eulittoral - lower, Eulittoral - mid |
| Depth Band | Lower shore, Mid shore |
| Other Features |
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'
Point data based on records in the UK Marine Recorder Snapshot.
Description
The sedentary polychaete Sabellaria alveolata (honeycomb worm) builds tubes from sand and shell. On exposed shores, where there is a plentiful supply of sediment, S. alveolata can form honeycomb reefs on boulders and low-lying bedrock on the mid to lower shore. These S. alveolata reefs are quite distinct from the mosaic of seaweeds and barnacles or red seaweeds (FK; MB) generally associated with moderately exposed rocky shores though many of the same species are present. These include the anemone Actinia equina, the barnacles Semibalanus balanoides and Austrominius modestus, the limpet Patella vulgata, the top shell Steromphala cineraria and the winkle Littorina littorea. The whelk Nucella lappilus and the mussel Mytilus edulis is also present on the boulders whereas the polychaete Lanice conchilega is restricted to the associated sediment areas. Scour resistent red seaweeds including Palmaria palmata, Corallina ifficinalis, Mastocarpus stellatus, Chondrus crispus, Ceramium nodulosum, Osmundea pinnatifida, Polysiphonia spp. and coralline crusts can also be present where suitable substrata exsist. Brown and green seaweeds also present include Fucus serratus, Fucus vesioculosus, Cladostephus spongiosus, Ulva intestinalis and Ulva lactuca.
Situation
Above Salv are biotopes dominated either by ephemeral seaweeds, such as Ulva spp. and Porphyra spp. or the perennial wrack Fucus vesiculosus on mixed substrata (FvesB; Fves.X; EphX; EntPor). Rockpool biotopes dominated by the red seaweed Corallina officinalis (Cor), by wracks such as Fucus spp. or by kelp such as Laminaria spp. (FK) can usually be found above this biotope. Beneath this biotope is a community consisting of mixed scour-tolerant like the kelp Laminaria digitata and opportunistic foliose red seaweeds such as Polyides rotunda and Ahnfeltia plicata (Ldig.Ldig; XKScrR; EphR; PolAhn).
Temporal variation
No temporal variation data available.
Characterising species
| Taxon | Relative importance of taxon for defining this community (%) | Typical abundance - SACFOR scale | % of core records where taxon was recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabellaria alveolata | 24 | Common | 81-100% |
| Semibalanus balanoides | 8 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Nucella lapillus | 7 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Littorina littorea | 6 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Fucus serratus | 5 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Patella vulgata | 5 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Ulva lactuca | 4 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Corallinaceae | 3 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Mytilus edulis | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Actinia equina | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Ceramium nodulosum | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Chondrus crispus | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Cladostephus spongiosus | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Corallina officinalis | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Austrominius modestus | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Mastocarpus stellatus | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Osmundea pinnatifida | 2 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Palmaria palmata | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Polysiphonia | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Fucus vesiculosus | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Carcinus maenas | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Ulva intestinalis | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Steromphala cineraria | 1 | Rare | 21-40% |
| Lanice conchilega | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
Not applicable or unknown.
