BIOTIC

BIOTIC Species Information for Lithothamnion glaciale
All Taxonomy Biology Distribution Reproduction

Researched by	Angus Jackson	Data supplied by	MarLIN
Refereed by	This information is not refereed.
Distribution and Habitat
Distribution in Britain & Ireland	Most abundant in the sea lochs of western Scotland, Orkney and Shetland. Recorded along the east coast south to Flamborough. Occasional on the south coast, Wales, Isle of Man and Lundy. Sparse records from north and south-western Ireland.
Global distribution	In the NE Atlantic from the British Isles north to Arctic Russia including the Faeroe Isles, Iceland and western Baltic. In the NW Atlantic from Cape Cod north to Arctic Canada and Greenland. Also northern Japan and China in the western Pacific.
Biogeographic range	Not researched	Depth range	0-70 m
Migratory	Non-migratory / Resident
Distribution Additional Information	Information on distribution of Lithothamnion glaciale in Fair Isle is available at http://www.fairisle.org.uk/FIMETI/Reports/Safeguarding_Our_Heritage/appendix5.htm Detail about British Isles distribution is found in Hall-Spencer (1985). Most abundant from 6-30 metres (Suneson, 1943). In the clear waters around northern Japan it may be found as deep as 60-70 m. Depth range is highly dependent on turbidity although temperature plays a role. Below 4-6 °C growth rate has little dependence on light availability (Adey, 1970). Occasionally found in shallow waters and even in large tide pools on the shore (Adey, 1970). Deposits from maerl beds can sometimes form quite extensive white 'coral sand' beaches, such as those in the Western Isles and Orkney.

Substratum preferences	Bedrock Large to very large boulders Small boulders Cobbles Pebbles Gravel / shingle Maerl	Physiographic preferences	Open coast Strait / sound Sealoch Ria / Voe Estuary
Biological zone	Upper Infralittoral Lower Infralittoral Upper Circalittoral Lower Circalittoral	Wave exposure	Exposed Moderately Exposed Sheltered Very Sheltered
Tidal stream strength/Water flow	Strong (3-6 kn) Moderately Strong (1-3 kn) Weak (<1 kn)	Salinity	Full (30-40 psu) Variable (18-40 psu)
Habitat Preferences Additional Information
Distribution References	Adey et al., 1976, Suneson, 1943, Rosenvinge, 1917, Adey & Adey, 1973, Adey, 1966, Adey, 1970, Irvine & Chamberlain, 1994, Birkett et al., 1998(a), Hall-Spencer, 1995, JNCC, 1999, Hardy & Guiry, 2003,