BIOTIC Species Information for Lithophyllum incrustans
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| Researched by | Dr Keith Hiscock | Data supplied by | MarLIN | ||||||||||||
| Refereed by | Dr Yvonne Chamberlain | ||||||||||||||
| Taxonomy | |||||||||||||||
| Scientific name | Lithophyllum incrustans | Common name | An encrusting coralline alga | ||||||||||||
| MCS Code | ZM231 | Recent Synonyms | None | ||||||||||||
| Phylum | Rhodophycota | Subphylum | |||||||||||||
| Superclass | Class | Rhodophyceae | |||||||||||||
| Subclass | Floridophycidae | Order | Corallinales | ||||||||||||
| Suborder | Family | Corallinaceae | |||||||||||||
| Genus | Lithophyllum | Species | incrustans | ||||||||||||
| Subspecies | |||||||||||||||
| Additional Information | Difficult to identify with certainty in the field and often recorded as 'lithothamnia' or 'encrusting Rhodophycota (indet.)' in surveys. | ||||||||||||||
| Taxonomy References | Hiscock, 1986b, Irvine & Chamberlain, 1994, | ||||||||||||||
| General Biology | |||||||||||||||
| Growth form | Crustose hard |
Feeding method | Photoautotroph |
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| Mobility/Movement | Permanent attachment |
Environmental position | Epilithic |
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| Typical food types | Not relevant | Habit | Attached | ||||||||||||
| Bioturbator | Not relevant | Flexibility | None (< 10 degrees) | ||||||||||||
| Fragility | Intermediate | Size | Medium-large(21-50cm) | ||||||||||||
| Height | Insufficient information | Growth Rate | <7 mm/year | ||||||||||||
| Adult dispersal potential | None | Dependency | Independent | ||||||||||||
| Sociability | Colonial | ||||||||||||||
| Toxic/Poisonous? | No | ||||||||||||||
| General Biology Additional Information | Dominant in rockpools and over much of the lower shore and sublittoral fringe at least. Covers the surface of rocks under canopies of algae. | ||||||||||||||
| Biology References | Littler, 1972, Irvine & Chamberlain, 1994, | ||||||||||||||
| Distribution and Habitat | |||||||||||||||
| Distribution in Britain & Ireland | Present all around the British Isles but rarer on the east coast between Yorkshire and east Kent. Encrusting coralline species are difficult to distinguish and few surveys record to species level. Its distribution is probably under recorded. | ||||||||||||||
| Global distribution | Present in the Faroes, Norway at least south from Trondheimfjord to Spain and the Mediterranean. May also be present in Morocco and Mauritania. Recorded in South Africa (Chamberlain 1996) | ||||||||||||||
| Biogeographic range | Not researched | Depth range | Mid-littoral to at least 8 m. | ||||||||||||
| Migratory | Non-migratory / Resident | ||||||||||||||
| Distribution Additional Information | No text entered | ||||||||||||||
| Substratum preferences | Rockpools |
Physiographic preferences | Open coast Offshore seabed Strait / sound Sealoch Ria / Voe |
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| Biological zone | Mid Eulittoral Lower Eulittoral Sublittoral Fringe Upper Infralittoral |
Wave exposure | Extremely Exposed Very Exposed Exposed Moderately Exposed Sheltered Very Sheltered |
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| Tidal stream strength/Water flow | Very Strong (>6 kn) Strong (3-6 kn) Moderately Strong (1-3 kn) Weak (<1 kn) Very Weak (negligible) |
Salinity | Full (30-40 psu) Variable (18-40 psu) |
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| Habitat Preferences Additional Information | |||||||||||||||
| Distribution References | Irvine & Chamberlain, 1994, Chamberlain, 1996, Hardy & Guiry, 2003, | ||||||||||||||
| Reproduction/Life History | |||||||||||||||
| Reproductive type | Gonochoristic |
Developmental mechanism | Spores (sexual / asexual) |
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| Reproductive Season | October to April | Reproductive Location | Insufficient information | ||||||||||||
| Reproductive frequency | Biannual episodic | Regeneration potential | No | ||||||||||||
| Life span | 21-50 years | Age at reproductive maturity | 2-3 years | ||||||||||||
| Generation time | Insufficient information | Fecundity | See additional information | ||||||||||||
| Egg/propagule size | Insufficient information | Fertilization type | Insufficient information | ||||||||||||
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| Reproduction Preferences Additional Information | Gametangial and tetrasporangial plants occur commonly on some shores in Devon and Cornwall but are rare in the north. The 'Time of first and last gamete' refers to the time when reproductive types occur however, some conceptacles are present throughout the year. (Irvine & Chamberlain 1994.) Assuming one layer of conceptacles is produced each year, plants up to 30 years old are reported (Edyvean pers. comm.. in Irvine & Chamberlain 1994). Reproductive types occur from October to April but tail-off into summer. It has been calculated that 1 mm x 1mm of reproductive thallus produces 17.5 million bispores per year with average settlement of only 55 sporelings/year (Edyvean & Ford 1984) | ||||||||||||||
| Reproduction References | Irvine & Chamberlain, 1994, Edyvean & Ford, 1984, Edyvean & Ford, 1987, | ||||||||||||||
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