Description of biotope or habitat type
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Infralittoral muddy sand
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt), Variable (18-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Moderately exposed, Sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Moderately strong (1-3 kn), Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Fine to very fine sand with a silt fraction |
| 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
Non-cohesive muddy sand (with 5% to 20% silt/clay) in the infralittoral zone, extending from the extreme lower shore down to more stable circalittoral zone at about 15-20 m. The habitat supports a variety of animal-dominated communities, particularly polychaetes (Magelona mirabilis, Spiophanes bombyx and Chaetozone setosa), bivalves (Fabulina fibula and Chamelea gallina) and the urchin Echinocardium cordatum.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echinocardium cordatum | 22 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Magelona mirabilis | 16 | Common | 81-100% |
| Fabulina fabula | 14 | Common | 81-100% |
| Lanice conchilega | 14 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Spiophanes bombyx | 13 | Common | 61-80% |
| Arenicola marina | 12 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Chaetozone setosa | 11 | Common | 81-100% |
| Pagurus bernhardus | 11 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Ensis | 8 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Nephtys | 7 | Common | 61-80% |
| Asterias rubens | 5 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Chamelea gallina | 5 | Common | 41-60% |
| Liocarcinus depurator | 4 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Diatoms - film | 3 | Common | 21-40% |
| Nucula nitidosa | 3 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Pleuronectidae | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Bathyporeia | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Cirratulidae | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Nephtys cirrosa | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Nephtys hombergii | 2 | 41-60% | |
| Phaxas pellucidus | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Abra alba | 1 | 21-40% | |
| Abra prismatica | 1 | 21-40% | |
| Diastylis bradyi | 1 | 21-40% | |
| Scoloplos armiger | 1 | 21-40% | |
| Spio | 1 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Pomatoschistus | 1 | Occasional | 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.IMuSa | Infralittoral muddy sand |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SSa.IMuSa | Infralittoral muddy sand |
| 1997 (97.06) | Part of SS.IMS.FaMS | Shallow muddy sand faunal communities |