Description of biotope or habitat type
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Cerianthus lloydii with Nemertesia spp. and other hydroids in circalittoral muddy mixed sediment
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Moderately exposed, Sheltered, Very sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Moderately strong (1-3 kn), Weak (>1 kn), Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Sandy muddy gravel with surficial cobbles, pebbles and shells |
| Zone | Infralittoral - lower, Circalittoral |
| Depth Band | 10-20 m, 20-30 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
In sheltered muddy sandy gravel with appreciable quantities of surficial cobbles, pebbles and shells a community similar to SS.SMx.CMx.ClloMx may develop with frequent Cerianthus lloydii and other burrowing anemones. However, the pebbles and cobbles embedded in the sediment are colonised by hydroids and, in particular, Nemertesia antennina and N. ramosa. Other hydroids may include Kirchenpaueria pinnata and Halecium halecinum whilst ascidians such as Ascidiella aspersa or Corella parallelogramma may also be present locally. Pecten maximus and Spirobranchus triqueter may also be frequent in certain areas.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerianthus lloydii | 21 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Asterias rubens | 8 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Nemertesia antennina | 8 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Nemertesia ramosa | 8 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Pagurus bernhardus | 5 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Pecten maximus | 5 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Liocarcinus depurator | 4 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Lanice conchilega | 3 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Ophiura albida | 3 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Spirobranchus triqueter | 3 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Echinus esculentus | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Aequipecten opercularis | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Chaetopterus variopedatus | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Halecium halecinum | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Seraphsidae | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Turritellinella tricarinata | 1 | Frequent | 21-40% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
SS.SMx.CMx.ClloMx
In areas of similar sediment but with fewer surface pebbles, cobbles and shells there are fewer sites of attachment for hydroids such as Nemertesia and SS.SMx.CMx.ClloMx.Nem is replaced by SS.SMx.CMx.ClloMx.Classification history of this biotope or habitat type
| Classification version | Code | Habitat name |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 (15.03) | SS.SMx.CMx.ClloMx.Nem | Cerianthus lloydii with Nemertesia spp. and other hydroids in circalittoral muddy mixed sediment |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMx.CMx.ClloMx.Nem | Cerianthus lloydii with Nemertesia spp. and other hydroids in circalittoral muddy mixed sediment |
| 1997 (97.06) | Part of SS.IMX.FaMx.An | Burrowing anemones in sublittoral muddy gravel |