Description of biotope or habitat type
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Sublittoral mud in variable salinity (estuaries)
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Variable (18-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Moderately exposed, Sheltered, Very sheltered, Extremely sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Strong (3-6 kn), Moderately strong (1-3 kn), Weak (>1 kn) |
| Substratum | Mud and sandy mud |
| Zone | Infralittoral |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m, 5-10 m |
| Other Features |
Biotope origin
| Derived using data from | Various |
| Faunal group | 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
Shallow sublittoral muds, extending from the extreme lower shore into the subtidal in variable salinity (estuarine) conditions. Such habitats typically support communities characterised by oligochaetes, and polychaetes such as Aphelochaeta marioni. In lowered salinity conditions the sediments may include a proportion of coarser material, where the silt content is sufficient to yield a similar community to that found in purer muds.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polychaeta | 71 | 21-40% | |
| Cardiidae | 18 | 21-40% | |
| Nephtys hombergii | 18 | Common | 41-60% |
| Aphelochaeta marioni | 17 | Common | 41-60% |
| Capitella capitata | 9 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Carcinus maenas | 7 | Rare | 21-40% |
| Crepidula fornicata | 7 | 21-40% | |
| Tubificoides benedii | 6 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Streblospio shrubsolii | 4 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Tubificoides pseudogaster | 3 | Common | 21-40% |
| Tubificoides swirencoides | 3 | Common | 21-40% |
| Corophium volutator | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Polydora ciliata | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Pygospio elegans | 2 | 21-40% | |
| Macoma balthica | 1 | 1-20% | |
| Melinna palmata | 1 | Common | 21-40% |
| Scoloplos armiger | 1 | 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.SMu.SMuVS | Sublittoral mud in variable salinity (estuaries) |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMu.SMuVS | Sublittoral mud in variable salinity (estuaries) |
| 1997 (97.06) | SS.IMU.EstMu | Estuarine sublittoral muds |