2. Données et outils
  3. Rechercher un habitat
  4. MC6-216 - Pennatules et mégafaune fouisseuse dans de la vase fine du circalittoral en Atlantique
  5. Description
MC6-216 - Pennatules et mégafaune fouisseuse dans de la vase fine du circalittoral en Atlantique

Seapens and burrowing megafauna in Atlantic circalittoral fine mud
MC6-215 - Lagis koreni et Phaxas pellucidus dans de la vase sableuse du circalittoral en Atlantique
MC6-217 - Mégafaune fouisseuse et Maxmuelleria lankesteri dans de la vase du circalittoral en Atlantique

Classification des habitats EUNIS 2022

Descriptif de l'habitat

Plains of fine mud at depths greater than about 15 m may be heavily bioturbated by burrowing megafauna; burrows and mounds may form a prominent feature of the sediment surface with conspicuous populations of seapens, typically Virgularia mirabilis and Pennatula phosphorea. The burrowing crustacea present typically include Nephrops norvegicus, which is frequently recorded from surface observations although grab sampling may fail to sample this species. Indeed, some forms of sampling may also fail to indicate seapens as characterising species. This biotope also seems to occur in deep offshore waters in the North Sea, where densities of Nephrops norvegicus may reach 68 per 10 per square metre. (see Dyer et al. 1982, 1983), and the Irish Sea. The burrowing anemone Cerianthus lloydii and the ubiquitous epibenthic scavengers Asterias rubens, Pagurus bernhardus and Liocarcinus depurator are present in low numbers in this biotope whilst the brittlestars Ophiura albida and Ophiura ophiura are sometimes present, but are much more common in slightly coarser sediments. Low numbers of the anemone Pachycerianthus multiplicatus may also be found, and this species, which is scarce in the UK, appears to be restricted to this habitat (Plaza & Sanderson 1997). The infauna may contain significant populations of the polychaetes Pholoe spp., Glycera spp., Nephtys spp., spionids, Pectinaria belgica and Terebellides stroemi, the bivalves Nucula sulcata, Corbula gibba and Thyasira flexuosa, and the echinoderm Brissopsis lyrifera.
Situation: These soft mud habitats occur extensively throughout the more sheltered basins of sealochs and voes (narrow inlets) and are present in quite shallow depths (as little as 15 m) in these areas probably because they are very sheltered from wave action.

Bibliographie

European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity 2022. EUNIS marine habitat classification 2022 including crosswalks. Table Excel. (Source)