| Biotope definition and code |
Environmental Characteristics |
Characterising species |
| Hediste (Nereis) diversicolor and Macoma
balthica in sandy mud shores (LMU.HedMac)
Subtypes of this biotope are:
LMU.HedMac.Are - least sheltered, abundant Arenicola marina and frequent Cerastoderma
edule;
LMU.HedMac.Pyg - contains less A. marina; LMU.HedMac.Mare -
contains Mya arenaria in high densities |
Full-Variable salinity Sheltered, Very
sheltered, Extremely sheltered
Sandy mud-Mud
Eulittoral
Mid shore, Lower shore
Anoxic layer present |
• Polychaetes, typically Hediste (Nereis)
diversicolor • Other smaller polychaetes include Eteone longa and Nephtys
hombergii, Tharyx marioni, Pygospio elegans, Arenicola marina and
Manayunkia aestuarina.
•Oligochaete worms include Tubificoides spp.
•Amphipod, Corophium volutator
•Mud snail, Hydrobia ulvae
•Bivalves include Macoma balthica
•Green algae, e.g. Enteromorpha |
| Hediste diversicolor and Scrobicularia
plana in reduced salinity mud shores (LMU.HedScr)
|
Variable-Reduced/Low salinity Sheltered, Very
sheltered, Extremely sheltered
Mud-Sandy mud
Eulittoral
Upper shore, Mid shore, Lower shore
Anoxic layer present |
•Hediste (Nereis) diversicolor and
the bivalve Scrobicularia plana are abundant •Other polychaetes include Eteone
longa
•Oligochaete, Tubificoides benedeni
•Isopod, Cyathura carinata
•Other bivalves include Macoma balthica and Cerastoderma edule |
| Hediste (Nereis) diversicolor and Streblospio
shrubsolii in sandy mud or soft mud shores (LMU.HedStr)
|
Variable-Low salinity Very sheltered-Extremely
sheltered
Mud-Sandy mud
Eulittoral
Mid shore, Lower shore
Black, possibly nutrient enriched |
•Streblospio shrubsolii, Tharyx
killariensis and Manayunkia aestuarina •Hediste (Nereis) diversicolor,
Nephtys hombergii, Pygospio elegans
•Corophium volutator, Hydrobia ulvae, Macoma balthica and
Abra tenuis
•Tubificoides spp. |
| Hediste (Nereis) diversicolor and
oligochaetes in low salinity mud shores (LMU.HedOl)
|
Reduced-Low salinity Extremely sheltered
Mud-Sandy mud
Littoral fringe, Eulittoral
Upper shore, Mid shore, Lower shore |
•Oligochaetes, including Tubificoides
spp. and Hediste (Nereis) diversicolor are abundant •Corophium volutator
•Reduced polychaetes and absence of bivalves |
| Barren coarse sands (LGS.BarSnd) |
Full salinity Exposed-mod. Exposed
Coarse-medium sand
Supralittoral, Eulittoral
Strandline, Upper shore, Mid shore, Lower shore |
•Sparse macrofauna •Low abundances of
burrowing amphipods Bathyporeia spp. or Pontocrates spp. and Eurydice
pulchra |
| Burrowing amphipods and Eurydice pulchra
in well drained clean sand shores (LGS.AEur) |
Full salinity Exposed-Moderately exposed
Medium sand
Eulittoral
Upper shore, Mid shore, Lower shore |
•Burrowing amphipods •Eurydice
pulchra
•Impoverished polychaetes only Scolelepis squamata |
| Burrowing amphipods and polychaetes in clean sand
shores (LGS.AP)
Sub biotopes are (LGS.AP.P.) and (LGS.AP.Pon), depending on the amphipod
to polychaete ratio |
Full salinity Exposed, Mod. Exposed, Sheltered
Medium-Fine sand
Eulittoral
Mid shore, Lower shore |
•Burrowing amphipods and polychaetes
includes Pontocrates and Bathyporeia spp. and Nephtys cirrosa, Scolelepis
squamata, Paraonis fulgens and Arenicola marina. •Occasional
bivalves e.g. Angulus tenuis
•Isopod, Eurydice pulchra |
| Dense Lanice conchilega in tide-swept
lower shore sand (LGS.Lan) |
Full-variable salinity Moderately exposed
Sheltered, Very sheltered
Strong-Moderately strong tidal streams
Medium sand-fine sand
Eulittoral
Mid shore, Lower shore |
•Dense populations of Lanice conchilega •Other
polychaetes include Nephtys cirrus, Nephtys hombergii and Pygospio
elegans
•Few crustaceans
•Bivalve cockles, Cerastoderma edule |
| Bathyporeia pilosa and Corophium
spp. in upper shore slightly muddy fine sand shores (LMS.BatCor)
|
Variable salinity Mod. exposed, Sheltered, Very
sheltered
Muddy fine sand
Eulittoral
Upper shore, Mid shore |
•Amphipods, Bathyporeia pilosa, Corophium
arenarium and Corophium volutator •Polychaetes and bivalves (with the
exception of Macoma balthica) are limited in their abundance and variety. |
| Polychaetes and Cerastoderma edule in fine
sand or muddy and shores (LMS.PCer) |
Full salinity Moderately exposed-Sheltered
Fine sand or muddy sand
Eulittoral
Mid shore, Lower shore |
•Cerastoderma edule and other
bivalves •Reduced amphipod populations, Bathyporeia sarsi
•Polychaetes, Nephtys hombergii, Scoloplos armiger, Pygospio
elegans, Spio filicornis and Capitella capitata
•Oligochaetes |
| Macoma balthica and Arenicola marina
in muddy sand shores (LMS.MacAre)
|
Full-Variable salinity Mod.exposed, Sheltered,
Very sheltered, Extremely sheltered
Fine sand or muddy sand
Eulittoral
Upper shore, Mid shore, Lower shore
Anoxic layer present |
•Arenicola marina and Scoloplos
armiger •Macoma balthica and Cerastoderma edule
•Corophium volutator can be common |
