Biodiversity & Conservation

Mytilus edulis beds with hydroids and ascidians on tide-swept moderately exposed circalittoral rock

CR.MCR.CMus.CMyt

MCR.MytHAs

Image Anon. - Mytilus edulis beds with hydroids and ascidians on tide-swept moderately exposed circalittoral rock. Image width ca 1m in foreground.
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Distribution map

CR.MCR.CMus.CMyt 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 The biotope has a restricted distribution around the UK. It has been described in surveys of Flamborough Head, Selsey Bill to Beachy Head, the Lizard, Skomer, the Lleyn Peninsula, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Liverpool Bay, and Jura & Islay, west Scotland. It is also known to occur off the Gower Peninsula and in localized areas of Plymouth Sound.
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

Dense mussel Mytilus edulis beds occur in strong tides on a variety of substrata. Species richness is not particularly high. Asterias sp. are usually common, as are crabs such as Cancer pagurus, Carcinus maenas and Necora puber. Hydroids such as Kirchenpaueria pinnata and those characteristic of strong tides and a little scour are also often present such as Sertularia argentea and Tubularia indivisa. Ascidians such as Molgula manhattensis and Polycarpa spp. and Flustra foliacea may be present, particularly in silty conditions, although not often on the mussels themselves. (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. Mytilus edulis beds with hydroids and ascidians on tide-swept moderately exposed circalittoral rock. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 19/06/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsbasicinfo.php?habitatid=208&code=2004>