Cauloramphus spiniferum is an encrusting bryozoan species, common to most British rocky shores in the south and west of the country. The colonies form thin, irregular sheets spreading over the substrate. Cauloramphus spiniferum is able to encrust various substrates including stones, shells and kelp holdfasts. It ranges from the mid-shore to shallow subtidal waters, where it can occur in abundance. It does not appear to extend below the kelp bed.
The species is widely distributed in the cool temperate waters of the Atlantic, from the Shetland Isles to the northern coasts of France. It has also been recorded from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America.

Like other Cheilostome bryozoans, this species has calcified zooecia and the opening is not closed by a constriction. Cauloramphus spiniferum makes a crustlike colony which forms a patch rather than an elongated stolon. The zooecia have an operculum and spines. A large portion of the frontal of the zooecium is an uncalcified membrane and protected by straight, simple spines around the margin. The avicularia are tall and slender, stalked, and found among the spines. The zooecia are not separated from one another by grooves.

middle North Shore (from Sept- Iles to Cape Whittle, including the Mingan Islands)

Belgian Coast, Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone, British Isles, European waters (ERMS scope), Holy Island, Irish Exclusive economic Zone, North West Atlantic, Northumberland, United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone, Zeebrugge

How to Distinguish from Similar Species: Cauloramphus brunea and C. echinus have large grooves between the zooids.

Depth range based on 15 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 7 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 62
  Temperature range (°C): 9.215 - 10.151
  Nitrate (umol/L): 5.634 - 7.608
  Salinity (PPS): 31.235 - 32.111
  Oxygen (ml/l): 6.545 - 6.794
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.929 - 1.030
  Silicate (umol/l): 14.586 - 20.289

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0 - 62

Temperature range (°C): 9.215 - 10.151

Nitrate (umol/L): 5.634 - 7.608

Salinity (PPS): 31.235 - 32.111

Oxygen (ml/l): 6.545 - 6.794

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.929 - 1.030

Silicate (umol/l): 14.586 - 20.289
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


There are 2 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.


Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Specimens with Barcodes: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1