Biodiversity & Conservation

Cordylophora caspia and Electra crustulenta on reduced salinity infralittoral rock

IR.SIR.EstFa.CorEle

SIR.CorEle

Image Keith Hiscock - Cordylophora caspia and Electra crustulenta on reduced salinity infralittoral rock. Image width ca 6 cm.
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Distribution map

IR.SIR.EstFa.CorEle 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 Recorded only in the upper reaches of the Tamar estuary, Plymouth, Devon.
National importance Rare

Text page icon Description of biotope

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

Shallow sublittoral rock in the upper estuary of one of the south-west inlets (Tamar) with very high turbidity and, therefore, no seaweeds. The brackish-water hydroid Cordylophora caspia and small colonies of the encrusting bryozoan Electra crustulenta and a few Balanus crenatus characterize this biotope. (Information taken from the Marine Biotope Classification for Britain and Ireland, Version 97.06: Connor et al., 1997a, b).

Additional information icon Additional information

Little direct information on the ecology of this biotope was available and reference has been made to other hydroid communities, especially estuarine fouling communities where appropriate. The biotope has been described from only two records in the MNCR database (JNCC, 1999). Notably, the brackish water barnacle Balanus improvisus was once found in the same area as this biotope (MBA, 1957) and may sometimes be a characteristic species in this biotope.

This review can be cited as follows:

Tyler-Walters, H. 2002. Cordylophora caspia and Electra crustulenta on reduced salinity infralittoral rock. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 22/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsbasicinfo.php?habitatid=27&code=1997>