Biodiversity & Conservation

Styela gelatinosa and other solitary ascidians on very sheltered deep circalittoral muddy sediment

SS.SMu.OMu.StyPse

<i>%Styela gelatinosa%</i> and other solitary ascidians on very sheltered deep circalittoral muddy sediment
Distribution map

SS.SMu.OMu.StyPse recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

  • UK_BAP

Text page icon Habitat description

Map icon Distribution of biotope in Britain and Ireland Recorded only in the deep water of Loch Goil, west coast of Scotland.
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

This biotope is known only from deep water in Loch Goil (Clyde sea lochs) in fine mud at 65 m with terrigenous debris. Large numbers of solitary ascidians, including Styela gelatinosa, Ascidia conchilega, Corella parallelogramma and Ascidiella spp., occur together with terebellid worms and the bivalve Pseudamussium septemradiatum. It is possibly an ice age relict 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

There appear to be no closely similar biotopes.

This review can be cited as follows:

Hiscock, K. 2002. Styela gelatinosa and other solitary ascidians on very sheltered deep circalittoral muddy sediment. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 20/06/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsbasicinfo.php?habitatid=274&code=2004>