Description of biotope or habitat type
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Suberites spp. with a mixed turf of crisiids and Bugula spp. on heavily silted moderately wave-exposed shallow circalittoral rock
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Moderately exposed |
| Tidal streams | Moderately strong (1-3 kn) |
| Substratum | Bedrock, boulders |
| Zone | Circalittoral - lower, Circalittoral - upper |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m, 5-10 m, 10-20 m |
| Other Features | Extremely shallow |
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
This biotope is found on heavily silted, moderately wave-exposed circalittoral bedrock and boulders (often limestone) that are subject to moderately strong tidal streams. A very high silt loading in the water column means that this 'circalittoral' biotope occurs at unusually shallow depths (1 - 10 m BCD). It is characterised by a mixed faunal turf and `massive' examples of the sponges Suberites ficus, Suberites carnosus and Hymeniacidon perlevis. Other sponges recorded in this biotope are Cliona celata, Halichondria panicea, Amphilectus fucorum, Raspailia ramosa, Polymastia mamillaris, Dysidea fragilis, Sycon ciliatum, Stelligera montagui and Haliclona oculata. Also characteristic of this biotope is a dense bryozoan turf with one or more crisiid species, Flustra foliacea and Crisularia plumosa. The polychaete Polydora spp. and the rock-boring bivalve Hiatella arctica are able to bore into the relatively soft limestone. There is an ascidian component to the biotope, with Morchellium argus and Clavelina lepadiformis among the most abundant. There may be scattered clumps of the hydroids Abietinaria abietina and Hydrallmania falcata. Other species present include the anemones Metridium senile, Cylista elegans and Urticina felina, the starfish Asterias rubens, the crab Necora puber, the nudibranch Antiopella cristata and the soft coral Alcyonium digitatum. This biotope has currently only been recorded off the east coast of Anglesey, Wales.
Situation
No situation data available.
Temporal variation
Not known
Characterising species
| Taxon | Relative importance of taxon for defining this community (%) | Typical abundance - SACFOR scale | % of core records where taxon was recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metridium senile | 6 | Common | 81-100% |
| Asterias rubens | 5 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Cliona celata | 5 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Hiatella arctica | 5 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Polydora | 5 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Suberites ficus | 5 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Alcyonium digitatum | 4 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Crisiidae | 4 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Amphilectus fucorum | 4 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Halichondria panicea | 4 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Morchellium argus | 4 | Occasional | 81-100% |
| Cylista elegans | 4 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Urticina felina | 4 | Occasional | 81-100% |
| Hymeniacidon perlevis | 3 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Suberites carnosus | 3 | Occasional | 81-100% |
| Abietinaria abietina | 2 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Crisularia plumosa | 2 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Clavelina lepadiformis | 2 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Dysidea fragilis | 2 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Flustra foliacea | 2 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Hydrallmania falcata | 2 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Antiopella cristata | 2 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Necora puber | 2 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Polymastia mamillaris | 2 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Raspailia ramosa | 2 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Sycon ciliatum | 2 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Stelligera montagui | 2 | Frequent | 61-80% |
| Haliclona oculata | 1 | Occasional | 61-80% |
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