BIOTIC Species Information for Spisula solida
Researched byLizzie Tyler Data supplied byUniversity of Sheffield
Refereed byThis information is not refereed.
Distribution and Habitat
Distribution in Britain & IrelandRecorded at scattered locations around the coasts of Britain and Ireland.
Global distributionSpisula solida is distributed from subarctic Iceland and Norway as far south as Portugal and Morocco but is not found in the Mediterranean.
Biogeographic rangeNot researched Depth range
MigratoryNon-migratory / Resident   
Distribution Additional InformationKristensen (1996) reported that Spisula solida showed a preference for grain sizes that ranged between 2-3 mm. The population of Spisula solida in Waterford Harbour, (Ireland) conformed to the grain size preference above. Spisula solida can be found at depths of 50 m (Schlieper et al., 1967). But in the North Sea, Spisula solida is restricted to depths of about 10-15 m (Theede et al., 1969). Whereas, in Portuguese waters, Spisula solida is more common in greater abundances at depths between 5-13 metres (Gaspar et al., 1999).

Substratum preferencesMixed
Pebbles
Gravel / shingle
Fine clean sand
Physiographic preferencesOpen coast
Offshore seabed
Strait / sound
Biological zoneLower Eulittoral
Sublittoral Fringe
Upper Infralittoral
Lower Infralittoral
Wave exposureVery Exposed
Exposed
Moderately Exposed
Sheltered
Tidal stream strength/Water flowStrong (3-6 kn)
Moderately Strong (1-3 kn)
Weak (<1 kn)
SalinityFull (30-40 psu)
Habitat Preferences Additional Information
Distribution References Tebble, 1976, Gibson et al., 2001, NBN, 2002, Picton & Costello, 1998, JNCC, 1999, Theede et al., 1969, Schlieper et al., 1967, Hayward & Ryland, 1990,
About MarLIN | Contact, Enquiries & Feedback | Terms & Conditions | Funding | Glossary | Accessibility | Privacy | Sponsorship

Creative Commons License BIOTIC (Biological Traits Information Catalogue) by MarLIN (Marine Life Information Network) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available at http://www.marlin.ac.uk/termsandconditions. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own terms and conditions and they may or may not be available for reuse. Based on a work at www.marlin.ac.uk.