Biodiversity & Conservation

Dense Lanice conchilega in tide-swept lower shore sand

LS.LSa.MuSa.Lan

LGS.Lan

Image Anon. - Dense Lanice conchilega in muddy sand. Image width ca XX cm.
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Distribution map

LS.LSa.MuSa.Lan recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

  • EC_Habitats

Marine natural heritage importance

Listed under EC Habitats Directive
National importance Uncommon
Habitat Directive feature (Annex 1) Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide
Large shallow inlets and bays
Estuaries

Biotope importance

Biotopes such as LGS.Lan support large nursery populations of flatfishes and round fishes prior to their movement offshore and eventual commercial exploitation, e.g. Elliott et al., 1990 (Elliott et al., 1998).

Exploitation

Commercial shell fisheries potentially can have a large effect on the integrity of intertidal sandflats, their physical structure and biological components (Jennings & Kaiser, 1998, Elliott, 1998). For instance, mechanical cockle harvesting or bait-digging may potentially cause reduced community diversity and species richness through removal, scattering or damage to individuals (Elliott et al., 1998).

Additional information icon Additional information

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This review can be cited as follows:

Budd, G.C. 2006. Dense Lanice conchilega in tide-swept lower shore sand. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 24/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatimportance.php?habitatid=195&code=2004>