Description of biotope or habitat type
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Abra prismatica, Bathyporeia elegans and polychaetes in circalittoral fine sand
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | |
| Tidal streams | |
| Substratum | Medium to fine sands |
| Zone | Circalittoral |
| Depth Band | |
| Other Features |
Biotope origin
| Derived using data from | Grab |
| 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
In circalittoral and offshore medium to fine sands between 25 m and 100 m a community characterised by the bivalve Abra prismatica, the amphipod Bathyporeia elegans and polychaetes such as Scoloplos armiger, Spiophanes bombyx, Aonides paucibranchiata, Chaetozone setosa, Ophelia borealis and Nephtys longosetosa may be found. The cumacean Eudorellopsis deformis and the opheliid polychaetes such as Ophelia borealis, Travisia forbesii or Ophelina neglecta are often present in this biotope. The brittlestar Amphiura filiformis may also be common at some sites. This biotope has been reported in the central and northern North Sea (Basford and Eleftheriou, 1989; Künitzer et al., 1992). Variants to the biotope, with sparser fauna in medium coarse sand with some gravel in deeper water, have been found off the east coast of England, similarly comprised of annelid worms such as Nephtys cirrosa, Ophelia borealis, and Spio armata, brittle stars Amphipholis squamata, and crustacea such as Gastrosaccus spinifer. In variable gravelly sands with pebbles, sparse fauna may also include bryozoans, such as Conopeum reticulum and Aspidelectra melolontha, and there may be presence of Sabellaria spinulosa.
Situation
No situation data available.
Temporal variation
No temporal data available.
Characterising species
| Taxon | Relative importance of taxon for defining this community (%) | % of core records where taxon was recorded | Relative frequency % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nephtys cirrosa | 12 | 1-20% | 2.3 |
| Ophelia borealis | 11 | 1-20% | 2.7 |
| Nephtys | 10 | 1-20% | 2.7 |
| Spiophanes bombyx | 5 | 1-20% | 5 |
| Bathyporeia elegans | 4 | 1-20% | 2.7 |
| Abra alba | 4 | 1-20% | 2.3 |
| Nemertea | 4 | 1-20% | 1.7 |
| Pseudocuma (Pseudocuma) longicorne | 4 | 1-20% | 1.6 |
| Echinocyamus pusillus | 3 | 1-20% | 3.3 |
| Pontocrates arenarius | 3 | 1-20% | 2.8 |
| Chaetozone christiei | 2 | 1-20% | 1.3 |
| Bathyporeia guilliamsoniana | 2 | 1-20% | 2.5 |
| Ophiuroidea | 2 | 1-20% | 0.8 |
| Copepoda | 2 | 1-20% | 1.3 |
| Magelona johnstoni | 1 | 1-20% | 2 |
| Gastrosaccus spinifer | 1 | 1-20% | 0.6 |
| Glycera tridactyla | 1 | 1-20% | 0.8 |
| Fabulina fabula | 1 | 1-20% | 0.7 |
| Sabellaria spinulosa | 1 | 1-20% | 1.1 |
| Synchelidium maculatum | 1 | 1-20% | 0.9 |
| Abra prismatica | 1 | 1-20% | 2.2 |
| Nematoda | 1 | 1-20% | 0.8 |
| Conopeum reticulum | 1 | 1-20% | 0.3 |
| Scoloplos armiger | 1 | 1-20% | 0.5 |
| Magelona filiformis | 1 | 1-20% | 1.8 |
| Aspidelectra melolontha | 1 | 1-20% | 0.2 |
| Spisula elliptica | 1 | 1-20% | 1 |
| Spio armata | 1 | 1-20% | 0.5 |
| Spio filicornis | 1 | 1-20% | 1.1 |
| Bathyporeia | 1 | 1-20% | 0.9 |
| Mediomastus fragilis | 1 | 1-20% | 0.5 |
| Dosinia | 1 | 1-20% | 1.6 |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
SS.SSa.CFiSa.EpusOborApri
SS.SSa.CFiSa.EpusOborApri is generally found in somewhat finer sand than SS.SSa.CFiSa.ApriBatPo.
SS.SMu.CSaMu.AfilKurAnit
As the mud fraction of the sediment increases SS.SSa.CFiSa.ApriBatPo may grade into the sandy mud biotope SS.SMu.CSaMu.AfilKurAnit.
SS.SMu.CSaMu.AfilEten
As the mud fraction of the sediment increases SS.SSa.CFiSa.ApriBatPo may grade into the sandy mud biotope SS.SMu.CSaMu.AfilEten.Classification history of this biotope or habitat type
| Classification version | Code | Habitat name |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 (15.03) | SS.SSa.CFiSa.ApriBatPo | Abra prismatica, Bathyporeia elegans and polychaetes in circalittoral fine sand |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SSa.CFiSa.ApriBatPo | Abra prismatica, Bathyporeia elegans and polychaetes in circalittoral fine sand |