MB6-24 - Communautés animales sur vase de l'infralittoral en milieu marin en Atlantique (EUNIS 2022)

MB6-24 - Communautés animales sur vase de l'infralittoral en milieu marin en Atlantique

Faunal communities on full salinity Atlantic infralittoral mud

MB6-23 - Communautés végétalisées sur vase de l'infralittoral en milieu à salinité réduite en Atlantique

MB6-25 - Communautés animales sur vase en milieu à salinité variable ou réduite de l'infralittoral en Atlantique

Classification des habitats EUNIS 2022

Descriptif de l'habitat

This habitat is generally found in sheltered bays or marine inlets and along sheltered areas of open coast.
In infralittoral, cohesive sandy mud, typically with over 20% silt/clay, typical species include a rich variety of polychaetes including Melinna palmate, tube building amphipods (Ampelisca spp.) and deposit feeding bivalves such as Limecola balthica (Macoma balthica) and Mysella bidentata. Sea pens such as Virgularia mirabilis and brittlestars such as Amphiura spp. may be present but not in the same abundances as found in deeper circalittoral waters.
Shallow sublittoral muds, extending from the extreme lower shore to about 15-20 m depth in fully marine or near marine conditions, predominantly in extremely sheltered areas with very weak tidal currents are found in sealochs and some rias and harbours. Populations of the lugworm Arenicola marina may be dense, with anemones, the opisthobranch Philine aperta and synaptid holothurians also characteristic in some areas. The extent of the oxidised layer may be shallow with some areas being periodically or permanently anoxic. In these areas bacterial mats may develop on the sediment surface. Infaunal records for this habitat type are limited encompassing only one biotope. They are therefore not representative of the full suite of infaunal species found in this biotope.

Bibliography

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