Description of biotope or habitat type
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Cylista undata and Ascidiella aspersa on infralittoral sandy mud
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Full (30-35 ppt), Variable (18-35 ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Sheltered, Very sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Moderately strong (1-3 kn) |
| Substratum | Sandy mud |
| Zone | Infralittoral |
| Depth Band | 5-10 m, 10-20 m |
| Other Features |
Biotope origin
| Derived using data from | Various |
| Faunal group | Epifauna |
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
Sheltered sublittoral mud or sandy mud in shallow water with relatively few conspicuous species may be characterised by the anemone Cylista undata in low numbers and the tunicate Ascidiella aspersa. Other taxa may include Carcinus maenas, Pagurus bernhardus and terebellid polychaetes. The burrowing anemones Cerianthus lloydii may also be found occasionally. The status of this biotope is uncertain at present as it is not known whether it is an impoverished, disturbed or epifaunal variant of other sheltered, shallow mud biotopes such as SS.SMu.IFiMu.PhiVir or if the areas in which it has been recorded have been incompletely surveyed.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cylista undata | 24 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Carcinus maenas | 18 | Occasional | 61-80% |
| Ascidiella aspersa | 7 | Frequent | 41-60% |
| Pagurus bernhardus | 6 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Seraphsidae | 4 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Asterias rubens | 3 | Occasional | 41-60% |
| Cerianthus lloydii | 3 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Hydractinia echinata | 3 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Liocarcinus depurator | 3 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Pomatoschistus | 3 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Metridium senile | 2 | Rare | 21-40% |
| Myxicola infundibulum | 2 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Buccinum undatum | 1 | Rare | 21-40% |
| Awaous commersoni | 1 | Occasional | 21-40% |
| Pomatoschistus minutus | 1 | Occasional | 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.ISaMu.SundAasp | Sagartiogeton undatus and Ascidiella aspersa on infralittoral sandy mud |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMu.ISaMu.SundAasp | Sagartiogeton undatus and Ascidiella aspersa on infralittoral sandy mud |