Hediste diversicolor in littoral mud
Description (English)
Mud and sandy mud shores in sheltered marine inlets and estuaries subject to variable or reduced salinity. The biotope is typically found on the mid and lower shores in the upper and mid estuary. If present on the upper shore, the sediment may become firm and compacted as water drains out, though usually the biotope occurs lower on the shore and the sediment remains water saturated during low tide. An anoxic layer occurs within the upper 5 cm of the sediment. The infauna is dominated by abundant or superabundant ragworms Hediste diversicolor. Other species that occur in a significant number of samples include oligochaetes such as Heterochaeta costata and Tubificoides spp., polychaetes such as Streblospio shrubsolii and Manayunkia aestuarina, the mud shrimp Corophium volutator, and the spire shell Hydrobia ulvae.
Situation: This unit may occur on the same shores as units A2.312, A2.313r, or NhomAph. Higher up on the shore, and/or further towards the upper extreme of the estuary, A2.323 may occur.
Temporal variation: Enteromorpha spp. and Ulva lactuca may form mats on the surface of the sediment during the summer months, particularly in areas of freshwater influence and/or where there is nutrient enrichment.
Source: EUNIS habitat classification
Quick facts
| EUNIS habitat type | code A2.322 |
|---|---|
| Bern Convention | Included in a Resolution 4 habitat type at a higher level (A2.3) |
Vegetation types
Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)
Not availableSpecies mentioned in habitat description
Algae
Ulva lactuca
Invertebrates
Streblospio shrubsolii
| Species scientific name | English common name | Species group |
|---|---|---|
| Ulva lactuca | Algae | |
| Streblospio shrubsolii | Invertebrates |
Other classifications
| Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Habitat Classification Britain/Ireland 0405 | LS.LMu.UEst.Hed | <I>Hediste diversicolor</I> in littoral mud | source |
| CORINE Land Cover | 4.2.3. | Intertidal flats | n/a |
History
| Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A2.322 | Hediste diversicolor in littoral mud | same |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A2.372 | Hediste diversicolor and Streblospio shrubsolii in sandy mud or soft mud shores | overlap |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A2.373 | Hediste diversicolor and oligochaetes in low salinity mud shores | overlap |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A2.372 | Hediste diversicolor and Streblospio shrubsolii in sandy mud or soft mud shores | overlap |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A2.373 | Hediste diversicolor and oligochaetes in low salinity mud shores | overlap |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A2.323 | Hediste diversicolor and oligochaetes in low salinity mud shores | overlap |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A2.322 | Hediste diversicolor and Streblospio shrubsolii in sandy mud or soft mud shores | overlap |
| MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland) | LMU.Mu.HedOl | Hediste diversicolor and oligochaetes in low salinity mud shores | overlap |
| MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland) | LMU.Mu.HedStr | Hediste diversicolor and Streblospio shrubsolii in sandy mud or soft mud shores | overlap |
