Biodiversity & Conservation

Temperature range preferences - Data deficient

Water clarity preferences - Medium clarity / Medium turbidity
Low clarity / High turbidity
Poor clarity / Extreme turbidity

Limiting Nutrients -

Other preferences - Sediment scour

The distribution map includes records of both the MCR.Flu biotope and its sub-biotopes. Flustra foliacea is associated with strong currents and areas subject to sediment abrasion (Stebbing, 1971a; Knight-Jones & Nelson-Smith, 1977; Hartnoll, 1983; Holme & Wilson, 1985) and requires stable hard substrata (Eggleston, 1972b; Ryland, 1976; Dyrynda, 1994). The abundance of bryozoans is positively correlated with supply of stable hard substrata and hence with current strength (Eggleston, 1972b; Ryland, 1976).
This biotope and the species it supports are characteristic of moderate to strong currents, subject to different degrees of sediment scour and silt. The different sub-biotopes differ in the degree of siltation and scour to which they are exposed. For example, MCR.Flu.Flu, is species poor and exposed to high silt levels. Sponges, hydroids and ascidians increase in number with decreasing silt, the sub-biotopes differing in their degree of wave exposure or water flow rates. The distribution of the sub-biotopes is also dependant on their geographic position, e.g. MCR.Flu.Flu predominates on the eastern coast Scotland and England, while MCR.Flu.Hocu is only found in south England (Connor et al, 1997; Hartnoll, 1998).