BIOTIC Species Information for Arenicola marina
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Researched by | Dr Harvey Tyler-Walters | Data supplied by | MarLIN |
Refereed by | Dr Matt Bentley | ||
Distribution and Habitat | |||
Distribution in Britain & Ireland | Found on all coasts around Britain and Ireland and widely in north-west Europe. | ||
Global distribution | Recorded from shores of western Europe, Norway, Spitzbergen, north Siberia, and Iceland. In the western Atlantic it has been recorded from Greenland, along the northern coast form the Bay of Fundy to Long Island. Its southern limit is about 40° N. | ||
Biogeographic range | Not researched | Depth range | Intertidal |
Migratory | Non-migratory / Resident | ||
Distribution Additional Information | None entered | ||
Substratum preferences | Salt marsh Seagrass Mixed Muddy gravel Muddy sand Sandy mud Fine clean sand |
Physiographic preferences | Strait / sound Sealoch Ria / Voe Estuary Enclosed coast / Embayment Isolated saline water (Lagoon) |
Biological zone | Upper Eulittoral Mid Eulittoral Lower Eulittoral Sublittoral Fringe |
Wave exposure | Moderately Exposed Sheltered Very Sheltered |
Tidal stream strength/Water flow | Very Strong (>6 kn) Strong (3-6 kn) Moderately Strong (1-3 kn) Weak (<1 kn) Very Weak (negligible) |
Salinity | Full (30-40 psu) Variable (18-40 psu) Reduced (18-30 psu) |
Habitat Preferences Additional Information | Arenicola marina reaches its highest abundance at mid-tidal levels on muddy sandy shores, except in summer when another zone of abundance occurs on the upper shore due to migration of juveniles (see larval information). Population density is correlated with mean particle size and organic content of the sediment. Arenicola marina is generally absent from sediments with a mean particle size of <80µm and abundance declines in sediments >200µm (fine sand) because they can not ingest large particles. Its absence from more fluid muddy sediments is probably because they do not produce large amounts of mucus with which to stabilise their burrows. Populations are greatest in sands of mean particle size of 100µm. Between 100-200µm the biomass of Arenicola marina increases with increasing organic content (Longbottom, 1970; Hayward, 1994). However, juveniles prefer medium particle sizes (ca. 250 µm) over fine or coarse sand (see general biology - larval) (Hardege et al., 1998). | ||
Distribution References | Fish & Fish, 1996, Ashworth, 1904, Zebe & Schiedek, 1996, Hayward, 1994, Dales, 1958, Longbottom, 1970, Shumway & Davenport, 1977, Beukema & de Vlas, 1979, Farke & Berghuis, 1979, Cadman, 1997, Clay, 1967, Hardege et al., 1998, Barnes, 1994, |