Balanus crenatus

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Balanus crenatus
Balanus crenatus 2329.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Thecostraca
Subclass: Cirripedia
Order: Balanomorpha
Family: Balanidae
Genus: Balanus
Species:
B. crenatus
Binomial name
Balanus crenatus
Bruguière, 1789
Subspecies [1]
  • B. c. crenatus
  • B. c. curviscutum
  • B. c. delicatus

Balanus crenatus is a species of acorn barnacle in the Balanidae family. It is found in the North Pacific and the North Atlantic Ocean.

Contents

Description

The shell of B. crenatus is made of six calcareous plates and grows up to 25 millimetres (0.98 in) across. The upper edge of the plates are toothed and the shell is often tilted to one side. The opercular aperture is diamond shaped and protected by two further plates which can slide across when the animal is not feeding. [2]

Distribution

This is a boreal species distributed in intertidal and sublittoral zones of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic. It has a similar distribution to Balanus balanus , a species with which it is often associated. [3]

Biology

This barnacle is a hermaphrodite and the reproductive organs develop during the winter. Individuals in a group fertilise each other and, after a period of maturation, nauplii are liberated into the water. After a number of moults, the larvae settle out of the zooplankton in about April and attach themselves to rocks and stones on the sea floor. B. crenatus is a fast-growing barnacle and can grow from a length of 3 millimetres (0.12 in) to 9 mm (0.35 in) in the month of May after settling. It is fully grown by August and ready to reproduce in its first winter. [4]

Ecology

This species is mainly found in the sublittoral zone but can sometimes be found under stones or overhangs on the lower shore. It colonises pebbles, bedrock, shells and artificial structures. It is found in both calm and exposed waters and can tolerate low salinity levels [2] and is found at depths of up to 60 metres (200 ft). It seems to favour habitats with strong currents and when overcrowding occurs, may be distorted to fit the space available. It is often found growing alongside another species of barnacle, Balanus balanus . [4]

The main predator is the juvenile common starfish (Asterias rubens). Medium sized barnacles seem to be at greatest risk. Small specimens are ignored while large specimens seem able to withstand attack but in some years, the population is decimated. [5]

Related Research Articles

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Barnacles are arthropods of the subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacea. They are related to crabs and lobsters, with similar nauplius larvae. Barnacles are exclusively marine invertebrates; many species live in shallow and tidal waters. Some 2,100 species have been described.

<i>Balanus</i> Genus of barnacles

Balanus is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea.

<i>Balanus glandula</i> Species of barnacle

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<i>Austrominius modestus</i> Species of barnacle

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<i>Semibalanus balanoides</i> Species of barnacle

Semibalanus balanoides is a common and widespread boreo-arctic species of acorn barnacle. It is common on rocks and other substrates in the intertidal zone of north-western Europe and both coasts of North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common starfish</span> Species of starfish

The common starfish, common sea star or sugar starfish is the most common and familiar starfish in the north-east Atlantic. Belonging to the family Asteriidae, it has five arms and usually grows to between 10–30 cm across, although larger specimens are known. The common starfish is usually orange or brownish in color, and sometimes violet; specimens found in deeper waters are pale. The common starfish is found on rocky and gravelly substrates where it feeds on mollusks and other benthic invertebrates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whale barnacle</span> Barnacles that attach to whales

Whale barnacles are species of acorn barnacle that belong to the family Coronulidae. They typically attach to baleen whales, and sometimes settle on toothed whales. The whale barnacles diverged from the turtle barnacles about three million years ago.

<i>Chthamalus stellatus</i> Species of barnacle

Chthamalus stellatus, common name Poli's stellate barnacle, is a species of acorn barnacle common on rocky shores in South West England, Ireland, and Southern Europe. It is named after Giuseppe Saverio Poli.

<i>Amphibalanus improvisus</i> Species of barnacle

Amphibalanus improvisus, the bay barnacle, European acorn barnacle, is a species of acorn barnacle in the family Balanidae.

<i>Chlamys hastata</i> Species of bivalve

Chlamys hastata, the spear scallop, spiny scallop or swimming scallop, is a species of bivalve mollusc in the family Pectinidae found on the west coast of North America from the Gulf of Alaska to San Diego, California. A limited number of these scallops are harvested by divers or by narrow trawls off the west coast of Canada.

<i>Novocrania anomala</i> Species of marine lamp shell

Novocrania anomala is a species of brachiopod found offshore in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Balanus balanus</i> Species of barnacle

Balanus balanus is a species of acorn barnacle in the Balanidae family. It is native to the colder seas of the northern hemisphere.

<i>Amphibalanus amphitrite</i> Species of barnacle

Amphibalanus amphitrite is a species of acorn barnacle in the Balanidae family. Its common names include the striped barnacle, the purple acorn barnacle and Amphitrite's rock barnacle. It is found in warm and temperate waters worldwide.

<i>Balanus perforatus</i> Species of barnacle

Balanus perforatus is a species of barnacle in the family Balanidae. It is found on the lower shore and in the neritic zone in the warm temperate parts of the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Ophiocomina nigra</i> Species of echinoderm

Ophiocomina nigra, commonly known as the black brittle star or black serpent star, is a species of marine invertebrate in the order Ophiurida. It occurs in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea.

<i>Megabalanus tintinnabulum</i> Species of barnacle

Megabalanus tintinnabulum is a species of large barnacle in the family Balanidae. It is the type species of the genus. The specific name comes from the Latin tintinnabulum meaning a handbell and probably refers to the fact that small groups of barnacles resemble clusters of miniature bells.

<i>Asterias forbesi</i> Species of starfish

Asterias forbesi, commonly known as Forbes sea star, is a species of starfish in the family Asteriidae. It is found in shallow waters in the northwest Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivory barnacle</span> Species of barnacle

Amphibalanus eburneus, the ivory barnacle or American acorn barnacle, is a species of acorn barnacle in the family Balanidae. It occurs on the east coast of North America, the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

<i>Megabalanus coccopoma</i> Species of barnacle

Megabalanus coccopoma, the titan acorn barnacle, is a tropical species of barnacle first described by Charles Darwin in 1854. Its native range is the Pacific coasts of South and Central America but it is extending its range to other parts of the world.

<i>Semibalanus cariosus</i> Species of barnacle

Semibalanus cariosus, commonly known as the thatched barnacle, rock barnacle or horse barnacle, is a species of acorn barnacle occurring in the northern Pacific Ocean.

References

  1. WoRMS (2011). "Balanus crenatus". World Register of Marine Species. Archived from the original on 28 April 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Nicola White (2004). "Balanus crenatus. An acorn barnacle". Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom . Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  3. Francis Kerckhof (2002). "Barnacles (Cirripedia, Balanomorpha) in Belgian waters, an overview of the species and recent evolutions, with emphasis on exotic species" (PDF). Bulletin van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen. Biologie. 72 (Suppl): 93–104.
  4. 1 2 H. Barnes & Margaret Barnes (1954). "The general biology of Balanus balanus (L.) Da Costa". Oikos . 5 (1): 63–76. doi:10.2307/3564651. JSTOR   3564651.
  5. H. Barnes & H. T. Powell (1951). "The growth rate of juvenile Asterias rubens L." (PDF). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom . 30 (2): 381–385. doi:10.1017/S0025315400012844. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-26.