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Marine Habitat Classification


Description of biotope or habitat type

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   Cerastoderma edule with Abra nitida in infralittoral mud


Physical habitat description

Salinity Full (30-35 ppt)
Wave exposure Very sheltered
Tidal streams Weak (>1 kn)
Substratum Mud and gravelly mud
Zone Infralittoral
Depth Band 0-5 m, 5-10 m
Other Features

Biotope origin

Derived using data from Day 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.

Distribution of habitat SS.SMu.IFiMu.CerAnit <I>Cerastoderma edule</I> with <I>Abra nitida</I> in infralittoral mud

  • 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

Sheltered shallow sublittoral muds and gravelly muds in marine embayments, inlets or harbours may contain populations of the edible cockle Cerastoderma edule with Abra nitida. Other taxa may include the gastropod Peringia ulvae, cirraltulid polychaetes such as Caulleriella spp. and other polychaetes including Hediste diversicolor and Aphelochaeta marioni. Available data for this biotope are limited to parts of Southampton Water, Chichester Harbour, and in the Wash. The species list given here may therefore be far from complete. It is not known at this stage whether this biotope is a sublittoral extension of intertidal cockle beds (e.g. LS.LSa.MuSa.CerPo) or whether it exists independently of intertidal populations of C. edule.

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 Typical abundance - (count per m2) % of core records where taxon was recorded
Cerastoderma edule 33 Common 31 81-100%
Abra nitida 22 Common 38 61-80%
Peringia ulvae 20 Frequent 29 61-80%
Chaetozone caputesocis 15 Frequent 20 61-80%
Aphelochaeta marioni 4 4 41-60%
Oxydromus flexuosus 4 3 41-60%
Hediste diversicolor 2 Frequent 49 21-40%
Polydora ciliata 1 2 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.IFiMu.CerAnit Cerastoderma edule with Abra nitida in infralittoral mud
2004 (04.05) SS.SMu.IFiMu.CerAnit Cerastoderma edule with Abra nitida in infralittoral mud

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