You are here:
Eionet
Data Dictionary
Vocabulary

Concept: [Mytilus edulis] beds on littoral mud in the eunishabitats vocabulary

Concept URI http://eunis.eea.europa.eu/eunishabitats/A2.7213
Preferred label [Mytilus edulis] beds on littoral mud
Definition Dense mussel beds found in sheltered conditions on mud. There is a build up of pseudofaeces that results in a bed that is very soft to walk on, and sediment which is anoxic to the surface. Pools are often present in the mussel bed but they tend to contain few species. The sediment infauna is very poor as a result of anoxic conditions. The mussel valves are usually clean, without epifaunal growth. Where this biotope occurs naturally, all age classes are found within the mussel bed. This biotope also includes commercially laid mussel beds on soft sediments, which tend to be of uniform age structure. The species diversity of this sub-biotope is a lot lower than that of the other Myt sub-biotopes. Situation: Occurs on sheltered mudflats, or areas that were previously rocky or cobble fields, but where pseudofaeces have accumulated, leading to the presence of a thick layer of mud. Temporal variation: Mussels may settle on areas of cobble or mixed sediment (Myt.Mx), and lead to the build-up of a thick layer of pseudofaeces, changing the biotope to Myt.Mu over time. The layer of mud can prevent the attachment of mussels to the underlying stable substratum, thus making the mussel bed liable to be washed away during storms. This is known to occur in areas of Morecambe Bay.
Notation A2.7213
Status Valid
Status Modified 2014-01-31
Accepted Date 2014-01-31
Not Accepted Date
Has broader
Has exact match