Description of biotope or habitat type
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Infralittoral fine sand
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Exposed, Moderately exposed, Sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Strong (3-6 kn), Moderately strong (1-3 kn), Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Medium to very fine sand |
| Zone | Infralittoral |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m, 5-10 m, 10-20 m |
| Other Features |
Biotope origin
| Derived using data from | Various |
| Faunal group | Epifauna/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
Clean sands which occur in shallow water, either on the open coast or in tide-swept channels of marine inlets. The habitat typically lacks a significant seaweed component and is characterised by robust fauna, particularly amphipods (Bathyporeia) and robust polychaetes including Nephtys cirrosa and Lanice conchilega.
Situation
No situation data available.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nephtys cirrosa | 31 | Common | 41-60% |
| Pagurus bernhardus | 23 | Rare | 61-80% |
| Lanice conchilega | 13 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Bathyporeia elegans | 11 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Hydrallmania falcata | 10 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Magelona mirabilis | 9 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Asterias rubens | 5 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Alcyonidium diaphanum | 4 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Bathyporeia guilliamsoniana | 4 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Chaetozone setosa | 4 | Common | 21-40% |
| Liocarcinus depurator | 4 | Rare | 21-40% |
| Sertularia cupressina | 4 | 21-40% | |
| Spiophanes bombyx | 4 | 21-40% | |
| Urticina felina | 4 | Rare | 21-40% |
| Carcinus maenas | 3 | Rare | 21-40% |
| Balanus crenatus | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Scoloplos armiger | 2 | 21-40% | |
| Spio filicornis | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Cancer pagurus | 1 | 21-40% | |
| Saccharina latissima | 1 | Rare | 21-40% |
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.SSa.IFiSa | Infralittoral fine sand |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SSa.IFiSa | Infralittoral fine sand |
| 1997 (97.06) | Part of SS.IGS.FaS | Shallow gravel faunal communities |