Concept
Polychaetes in littoral fine sand
| URI | http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/M21/current/JNCCMNCR00002182/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Within Vocab | Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and Ireland Version 15.03 | |
| Alternative Labels | LS.LSa.FiSa.Po | |
| Definition | Moderately exposed or sheltered beaches of medium and fine, usually clean, sand, though the sediment may on rare occasions contain a small silt and clay fraction. The sediment is relatively stable, remains damp throughout the tidal cycle, and contains little organic matter. It is often rippled and typically lacks an anoxic sub-surface layer. Where an anoxic layer is present, it occurs at a depth below 10 cm and tends to be patchy. The biotope occurs mainly on the lower part of the shore, and relatively frequently on the mid shore. It is only rarely present above mid shore level, except where coastal defences cause backwash onto the upper shore. Conditions are usually fully marine, though the biotope can also occur in open lower estuarine conditions. The infaunal community is dominated by a range of polychaete species such as Nephtys cirrosa, Paraonis fulgens, Spio spp., Pygospio elegans, Ophelia rathkei and Scoloplos armiger. The presence of polychaetes may be seen as coloured burrows running down from the surface of the sediment, and Arenicola marina casts may be present on the sediment surface. The amphipods Bathyporeia spp. and Pontocrates arenarius frequently occur, and nemerteans are often present. On some North Wales shores, the presence of Arenicola species characterises the lowest part of the shore, with a range of species characteristic of the shallow sublittoral. These include sparsely distributed Echinocardium, Amphiura brachiata, Ensis siliqua and Fabulina fabula. The Po biotope is split into three sub-biotopes, between which there can be a large degree of overlap. The bivalve Angulus tenuis dominates the Po.Aten sub-biotope, which is characterised by slightly more stable and fine sediments than the other two sub-biotopes. | |
| Date | 2018-02-13T18:46:01 | |
| Identifier | SDN:M21::JNCCMNCR00002182 | |
| Note | accepted | |
| Has Current Version | 1 | |
| version | 1 | |
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