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Mud-burrowing megafauna of the Clyde Sea Area

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

R. J. A. Atkinson
R. J. A. Atkinson
Affiliation:
University Marine Biological Station, Millport, Isle of Cumbrae KA28 OEG, Scotland
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Synopsis

Underwater television, remote photography and SCUBA diving have revealed that Clyde Sea Area sublittoral muds are extensively bioturbated by megafaunal species that construct conspicuous burrows. These species arc mainly decapod crustaceans and fish, each with a characteristic burrow configuration and optimum horizon for excavation. Burrow structures have been revealed by resin casting and densities and distributions have been studied using camera and SCUBA techniques. Burrowing behaviour has been investigated by field and laboratory studies, while physiological studies of some species have shown respiratory adaptations to the burrowing mode of life. Megafaunal burrowing appears to be an important determinant of benthic community structure.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B: Biological Sciences , Volume 90: The Environment of the Estuary and Firth of Clyde , 1986 , pp. 351 - 361
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1986

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