Annex III VME Indicator species
United Kingdom
The following is a list of VME habitat types, with the taxa most likely to be found in those habitats which shall be considered as VME indicators.
| VME Habitat type | Representative Taxa |
|---|---|
| 1. Cold-water coral reef | |
| (a) Lophelia pertusa reef | Lophelia pertusa |
| (b) Solenosmilia variabilis reef | Solenosmilia variabilis |
| 2. Coral garden | |
| (a) Hard bottom garden | |
| (i) Hard bottom gorgonian and black coral gardens | Anthothelidae Chrysogorgiidae Isididae, Keratoisidinae Plexauridae Acanthogorgiidae Coralliidae Paragorgiidae Primnoidae Schizopathidae |
| (ii) Colonial scleractinians on rocky outcrops | Lophelia pertusa Solenosmilia variabilis |
| (iii) Non-reefal scleractinian aggregations | Enallopsammia rostrata Madrepora oculata |
| (b) Soft-bottom coral gardens | |
| (i) Soft-bottom gorgonian and black coral gardens | Chrysogorgiidae |
| (ii) Cup-coral fields | Caryophylliidae |
| (iii) Cauliflower coral fields | Flabellidae Nephtheidae |
| 3. Deep-sea sponge aggregations | |
| (a) Other sponge aggregations | Geodiidae Ancorinidae Pachastrellidae |
| (b) Hard-bottom sponge gardens | Axinellidae Mycalidae Polymastiidae Tetillidae |
| (c) Glass sponge communities | Rossellidae Pheronematidae |
| 4. Sea pen fields | Anthoptilidae Pennatulidae Funiculinidae Halipteridae Kophobelemnidae Protoptilidae Umbellulidae Vigulariidae |
| 5. Tube-dwelling anemone patches | Cerianthidae |
| 6. Mud- and sand-emergent fauna | Bourgetcrinidae Antedontidae Hyocrinidae Xenophyophora Syringamminidae |
| 7. Bryzoan patches |