BIOTIC

BIOTIC Species Information for Eurydice pulchra
All Taxonomy Biology Distribution Reproduction

Researched by	Lizzie Tyler	Data supplied by	University of Sheffield
Refereed by	This information is not refereed.
Distribution and Habitat
Distribution in Britain & Ireland	Widespread on open coast and estuarine sandy beaches, with reduced abundance in south-east England.
Global distribution	Eurydice pulchra is found from Norway and the outer Baltic to the Atlantic coast of Morocco, but not in the Mediterranean (Soika, 1955).
Biogeographic range	Not researched	Depth range
Migratory	Diel
Distribution Additional Information	Population densities Eurydice pulchra populations may occur at densities of 1500 per m² or more and, on a South Wales beach studied by Jones (1970b), the population exceeded 4000 per m². Intertidal distribution Eurydice pulchra lives on the upper half of the shore, generally being most abundant between mean tide level (MTL) and mean high water of neap tides (MHWN). Eurydice pulchra relies upon the cue of increasing wave action caused by the flood tide (Jones, 1970b) to initiate swimming from the substratum. It swims in search of food, and buries itself in the sand again as the tide ebbs. As the fortnightly spring tides carry water further up the shore, so Eurydice pulchra moves up, and it can be found in the sand right up to the mean high water of spring tides. When the tidal cycles swings again towards neaps, the Eurydice population also moves down shore again, and avoids being stranded above the neap high water mark (Fish, 1970).

Substratum preferences	Coarse clean sand Fine clean sand	Physiographic preferences	Estuary Open coast Strait / sound Enclosed coast / Embayment
Biological zone	Upper Eulittoral Mid Eulittoral Lower Eulittoral Sublittoral Fringe	Wave exposure	Exposed Moderately Exposed
Tidal stream strength/Water flow		Salinity	Full (30-40 psu)
Habitat Preferences Additional Information
Distribution References	Naylor, 1972, Hayward & Ryland, 1995b, Hayward et al., 1996, Fish, 1970, Jones, 1970b, Alheit & Naylor, 1976, Soika, 1955, Jones & Naylor, 1967, Hayward & Ryland, 1990,