Semibalanus balanoides, Patella vulgata and Littorina spp. on exposed to moderately exposed or vertical sheltered eulittoral rock
Quick facts
EUNIS habitat type | code MA12231 |
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Relation to | Resolution 4 habitat type (used for designation of Emerald sites) |
Description (English)
Very exposed to sheltered mid to upper eulittoral bedrock and large boulders characterised by dense barnacles Semibalanus balanoides and the limpet Patella vulgata. The community has a relatively low diversity of species though occasional cracks and crevices in the rock can provide a refuge for small individuals of the mussel Mytilus edulis, the winkle Littorina spp. and the whelk Nucella lapillus. Seaweeds are usually not found in high numbers though fissures and crevices in the bedrock can hold a sparse algae community, though patches of the red seaweed Osmundea pinnatifida can be present throughout the zone. On some shores the olive green lichen Verrucaria mucosa can be present in some abundance (Frequent). Records should not be assigned to this species impoverished biotope if there is a significant number or abundance of seaweeds.
Situation: On very exposed to exposed shores Chthamalus spp. (see MA1-2221 for geographical variation) often forms a distinct white band above a darker band of S. balanoides in the mid eulittoral zone. Alternatively, found above MA1-223 are the black lichen Verrucaria maura dominated biotopes (MA1-2131 or MA1-2132). In the lower eulittoral and the sublittoral fringe is a community dominated by the wrack Himanthalia elongata and various red seaweeds including Corallina officinalis, Mastocarpus stellatus and Osmundea pinnatifida (MA1-233; MA1-232; MA1-236) or the mussel and barnacle dominated biotope MA1-221. This unit may occur on steep and vertical faces on more sheltered shores, while fucoids dominate the flatter areas (MA1-2232; MA1-243).
Temporal variation: Periods with little scour or less severe storms can allow a seaweed community to develop creating a more diverse biotope (i.e. MA1-23D). This is a dynamic process, which will change individual sites over time. More information is required to validate this hypothesis.
Source: EUNIS habitat classification
Legal status
Relation to other habitat types mentioned in legal instruments
Vegetation types
Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)
Not availableSpecies mentioned in habitat description
Species scientific name | English common name | Species group |
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Corallina officinalis | Algae | |
Mytilus edulis | Invertebrates | |
Nucella lapillus | Dog whelk | Invertebrates |
Patella vulgata | Invertebrates |
Other classifications
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
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EUNIS Habitat Classification 2007 (revised descriptions 2012) | A1.1131 | Semibalanus balanoides, Patella vulgata and Littorina spp. on exposed to moderately exposed or vertical sheltered eulittoral rock | same |
History
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A1.1131 | Semibalanus balanoides, Patella vulgata and Littorina spp. on exposed to moderately exposed or vertical sheltered eulittoral rock | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A1.1125 | Semibalanus balanoides, Patella vulgata and Littorina spp. on exposed to moderately exposed or vertical sheltered eulittoral rock | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A1.1125 | Semibalanus balanoides on exposed or moderately exposed, or vertical sheltered, eulittoral rock | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A1.1125 | Semibalanus balanoides on exposed or moderately exposed, or vertical sheltered, eulittoral rock | same | |
MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland) | ELR.MB.BPat.Sem | Semibalanus balanoides on exposed or moderately exposed, or vertical sheltered, eulittoral rock | same |