Biodiversity & Conservation

Arenicola marina and synaptid holothurians in extremely shallow soft mud.

SS.IMU.MarMu.AreSyn

IMU.AreSyn

Image Anon. - Arenicola marina and synaptid holothurians in extremely shallow soft mud. Image width ca 40 cm in foreground.
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Distribution map

SS.IMU.MarMu.AreSyn recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

  • EC_Habitats

Text page icon Habitat description

Map icon Distribution of biotope in Britain and Ireland Restricted to the sheltered areas of sea lochs and voes or lagoons in Shetland, Orkney and the Inner and Outer Hebrides.
National importance Not available

Text page icon Description of biotope

For a full description of this biotope including characterizing species, distribution, survey information and references visit JNCC

In very shallow extremely sheltered very soft muds Arenicola marina may form very conspicuous mounds and casts. At such sites, high densities of synaptid holothurians such as Labidoplax media and Leptosynapta bergensis occur. This biotope typically occurs in waters shallower than about 5 m in sheltered basins of sea lochs and lagoons that may be partially separated from the open sea by tidal narrows or rapids. Sediment surfaces may become covered by a diatom film at certain times of the year. (Information taken from the Marine Biotope Classification for Britain and Ireland, Version 97.06: Connor et al., 1997a, b).

Additional information icon Additional information

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This review can be cited as follows:

Tyler-Walters, H. 2001. Arenicola marina and synaptid holothurians in extremely shallow soft mud.. 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/habitatsbasicinfo.php?habitatid=108&code=1997>