Ampharete falcata turf with Parvicardium ovale on Atlantic offshore circalittoral muddy sediment near margins of deep stratified seas
Description (English)
Dense stands of Ampharete falcata tubes which protrude from muddy sediments, appearing as a turf or meadow in localised areas. These areas seem to occur on a crucial point on a depositional gradient between areas of tide-swept mobile sands and quiescent stratifying muds. Dense populations of the small bivalve Parvicardium ovale occur in the superficial sediment. Other infauna in this diverse biotope includes Lumbrineris scopa, Levinsenia sp., Prionospio steenstrupi, Diplocirrus glaucus and Praxillella affinis although a wide variety of other infaunal species may also be found. Both the brittlestars Amphiura filiformis and Amphiura chiajei may be present together with Nephrops norvegicus in higher abundance than the A5.363 or MB6-248 biotopes. Substantial populations of mobile epifauna such as Pandalus montagui and smaller fish also occur, together with those that can cling to the tubes, such as Macropodia spp. A similar turf of worm tubes formed by the maldanid polychaete Melinna cristata has been recorded from Northumberland (Buchanan 1963). Nephrops trawling may severely damage this biotope and it is possible that such activity has destroyed examples of this biotope in the Irish Sea (E.I.S. Rees pers. comm. 2002).
Source: EUNIS habitat classification
Quick facts
EUNIS habitat type | code MD6213 |
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Vegetation types
Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)
Not availableSpecies mentioned in habitat description
Species scientific name | English common name | Species group |
---|---|---|
Ampharete falcata | Invertebrates | |
Amphiura chiajei | Invertebrates | |
Amphiura filiformis | Invertebrates | |
Diplocirrus glaucus | Invertebrates | |
Lumbrineris scopa | Invertebrates | |
Melinna cristata | Invertebrates | |
Nephrops norvegicus | Invertebrates | |
Pandalus montagui | Invertebrates | |
Parvicardium ovale | Invertebrates | |
Praxillella affinis | Invertebrates | |
Prionospio steenstrupi | Invertebrates |
Other classifications
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
---|---|---|---|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 2007 (revised descriptions 2012) | A5.371 | Ampharete falcata turf with Parvicardium ovale on cohesive muddy sediment near margins of deep stratified seas | same |
History
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A5.371 | Ampharete falcata turf with Parvicardium ovale on cohesive muddy sediment near margins of deep stratified seas | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A4.741 | Ampharete falcata turf with Parvicardium ovale on cohesive muddy sediment near margins of deep stratified seas | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A4.741 | Ampharete falcata turf with Parvicardium ovale on cohesive muddy very fine sand near margins of deep stratified seas | same | |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A4.711 | Ampharete falcata turf with Parvicardium ovale on cohesive muddy very fine sand near margins of deep stratified seas | same | |
MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland) | COS.AmpPar | Ampharete falcata turf with Parvicardium ovale on cohesive muddy very fine sand near margins of deep stratified seas | same |