Glycera lapidum, Thyasira spp. and Amythasides macroglossus in offshore gravelly sand

Description (English)

Offshore (deep) circalittoral habitats with coarse sands and gravel, stone or shell and occasionally a little silt (<5%) may be characterised by the polychaetes Glycera lapidum and Amythasides macroglossus with the bivalve Thyasira spp. (particularly Thyasira succisa). Other taxa include polychaetes such as Exogone verugera, Notomastus latericeus, Spiophanes kroyeri,Aphelochaeta marioni (Tharyx marioni) and Lumbrineris gracilis and occasional numbers of the bivalve Timoclea ovata. This biotope bears some resemblance to the shallow A5.135 and also to the circalittoral and offshore venerid biotopes (units A5.142 and A5.451) but differs by the range of polychaete and bivalve fauna present. This biotope is notable for the presence of the rarely recorded ampharetid polychaete Amythasides macroglossus and also for the small ear file clam Limatula subauriculata which is common in some examples of this biotope.

Source: EUNIS habitat classification