Description of biotope or habitat type
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Laminaria hyperborea on moderately exposed vertical rock.
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Extremely exposed, Very exposed, Exposed, Moderately exposed, Sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Moderately strong (1-3 kn), Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Bedrock |
| Zone | Infralittoral |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m, 5-10 m, 10-20 m |
| Other Features | Vertical rock. |
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
LhypVt is found on moderately exposed coasts in moderately strong to weak tidal streams generally in 0-20m water depth. It is characterised by the kelp Laminaria hyperborea, the soft coral Alcyonium digitatum and crinoid Antedon bifida. This biotope is relatively species poor when compared to similar biotopes in more exposed environments e.g. LhypRVt. The urchin Echinus esculentus may be frequently observed grazing the vertical rock face. This biotope may have 2 sub-biotopes. One is characterised by the frequent occurrence of the sea squirt Clavelina lepadiformis and the red seaweeds Phycodrys rubens and Cryptopleura ramosa. The brown seaweed Dictyota dichotoma may also be frequent in this sub-biotope. The second sub-biotope is more species poor than the previous one and is characterised by the common occurrence of Alcyonium digitatum, which is only occasional in the other variant.
Situation
Open rocky coasts in northern Britain, particularly North Sea coasts.
Temporal variation
No temporal data avialable
Characterising species
| Taxon | Relative importance of taxon for defining this community (%) | Typical abundance - SACFOR scale | % of core records where taxon was recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echinus esculentus | 10 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Laminaria hyperborea | 9 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Alcyonium digitatum | 8 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Asterias rubens | 8 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Corallinaceae | 5 | Common | 41-60% |
| Clavelina lepadiformis | 4 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Spirobranchus triqueter | 4 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Antedon bifida | 3 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Urticina felina | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Calliostoma zizyphinum | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Caryophyllia smithii | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Cryptopleura ramosa | 2 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Delesseria sanguinea | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Dictyota dichotoma | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Steromphala cineraria | 2 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Phycodrys rubens | 2 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Plocamium cartilagineum | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Botryllus schlosseri | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Cancer pagurus | 1 | Rare | 21-40% |
| Henricia | 1 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Necora puber | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Cylista elegans | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types