Communities of Mediterranean soft circalittoral rock

This habitat type occurs on moderately wave-exposed, circalittoral soft bedrock subject to moderately strong tidal streams. As this complex is found in highly turbid water conditions, the circalittoral zone may begin at the low water mark, due to poor light penetration. This complex is dominated by the piddock (a marine rock boring bivalve mollusc) Pholas dactylus  Barnea parva and other boring bivalves. Other species typical of this complex include the tube building polychaete Polydora and Bispira volutacornis, the sponges Cliona celata and Suberites ficus, the bryozoan Alcyonium coralloides, and the crabs Necora puber and Cancer pagurus. Foliose red algae may also be present.

Indicators of quality:

Standard biotic and abiotic indicators have been used to describe marine habitat quality. Both biotic and abiotic indicators have been used to describe marine habitat quality. These include the presence of particular species, water quality parameters, levels of exposure to a particular exposure as well as more integrated indices which describe habitat function and structure, such as trophic index, or successful stages of development in habitats that have a natural cycle of change over time. There are no known commonly agreed indicators of quality for this habitat, although particular parameters may be set in certain situations, e.g. protected features with Natura 2000 sites, where reference values may have been determined and applied on a location-specific basis. 

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

Pressures and threats