Description of biotope or habitat type
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Kurtiella bidentata and Abra spp. in infralittoral sandy mud
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Very sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Muddy sands and sandy muds |
| Zone | Infralittoral |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m, 5-10 m, 10-20 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
Cohesive sandy mud, sometimes with a small quantity of shell in shallow water may contain the bivalves Kurtiella bidentata and Abra spp. (typically A. alba and A. nitida). Other characteristic taxa may include Scoloplos armiger, Mya sp., and Thyasira flexuosa. Tube building amphipods are also characteristic of this biotope in particular Ampelisca spp. and Aoridae such as Microprotopus maculatus. This biotope may also be compared with similar biotopes such as SS.SSa.CMuSa.AalbNuc, SS.SMx.CMx.KurThyMx or SS.SMu.ISaMu.MelMagThy.
Situation
This biotope is generally found in sheltered marine inlets or sea lochs such as Strangford Lough.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nematoda | 15 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Abra alba | 11 | Common | 61-80% |
| Scoloplos armiger | 10 | Super abundant | 61-80% |
| Kurtiella bidentata | 9 | Frequent | 81-100% |
| Ampelisca brevicornis | 6 | Common | 41-60% |
| Mya | 3 | Common | 61-80% |
| Abra nitida | 2 | Common | 41-60% |
| Ampelisca tenuicornis | 2 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Cirratulidae | 2 | Common | 41-60% |
| Microprotopus maculatus | 2 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Nephtys hombergii | 2 | Common | 21-40% |
| Thyasira flexuosa | 2 | 61-80% | |
| Aoridae | 1 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Arenicola marina | 1 | 21-40% | |
| Capitella capitata | 1 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Dexamine thea | 1 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Mediomastus fragilis | 1 | Frequent | 21-40% |
| Melinna palmata | 1 | Common | 21-40% |
| Nephtys kersivalensis | 1 | Common | 21-40% |
| Pariambus typicus | 1 | 41-60% |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
SS.SMu.ISaMu.AmpPlon
SS.SMu.ISaMu.KurAbr is similar to SS.SMu.ISaMu.AmpPlon but differs in the variety and abundance of amphipods and is found in muddier sediments in sheltered sealochs such as Strangford Lough. It is possible that these two biotopes are actually part of a wider biotope which contains more than one entity depending on its geographic location and prevailing environmental conditions.Classification history of this biotope or habitat type
| Classification version | Code | Habitat name |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 (15.03) | SS.SMu.ISaMu.MysAbr | Mysella bidentata and Abra spp. in infralittoral sandy mud |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMu.ISaMu.MysAbr | Mysella bidentata and Abra spp. in infralittoral sandy mud |