A barnacle is a type of arthropod constituting the infraclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacea, and is hence related to crabs and lobsters. Barnacles are exclusively marine, and tend to live in shallow and tidal waters, typically in erosive settings. They are sessile (nonmobile) and most are suspension feeders, but those in superorder Rhizocephala are parasitic. They have four nektonic larval stages. Around 1,000 barnacle species are currently known. The name "Cirripedia" is Latin, meaning "curl-footed". The study of barnacles is called cirripedology.
Thoracica is a superorder of crustaceans which contains the most familiar species of barnacles found on rocky coasts, such as Semibalanus balanoides and Chthamalus stellatus. They have six well-developed limbs, and may be either stalked or sessile. The carapace is heavily calcified. The group includes free-living and commensal species.
The Chthamalidae are a family of chthamaloid barnacles, living entirely in intertidal/subtidal habitats, characterized by a primary shell wall of eight, six, or four plates, lacking imbricating plate whorls, and either membraneous or more rarely calcareous basis. They are not found below immediate subtidal habitats, and more likely are found in the highest tier of shallow-water barnacle fauna. They can be found in the most rigorous wave-washed locations, and some species are found in the surf zone above high tide mark, only receiving water from wave action at high tide.
Acorn barnacle and acorn shell are vernacular names for certain types of stalkless barnacles, generally excluding Pedunculata. Depending on region and author, they could mean any of the following taxa:
Pollicipes polymerus, commonly known as the gooseneck barnacle or leaf barnacle, is a species of stalked barnacle. It is found, often in great numbers, on rocky shores on the Pacific coasts of North America.
Notochthamalus scabrosus, the only species in the genus Notochthamalus, is a species of barnacle found along the south-western and south-eastern coasts of South America, from Peru to the Falkland Islands. The species is found almost exclusively higher in the intertidal zone than the mussel Perumytilus, often codistributed with the confamilial barnacle Chthamalus cirratus and Balanus flosculus.
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.
The subfamily Notochthamalinae Foster and Newman, 1987, was proposed for members of the barnacle family Chthamalidae with elongated scuta and very narrow terga deeply interlocked, sometimes concrescent. Shell plates may become concrescent with age in some species. Soft part characters include card setae on some or all of cirri I to III, and mandible with or without combed lower edge. Poltarukha made further revisions in 1996.
The Chthamaloidea are a subdivision of Balanomorpha proposed by Newman and Ross to include barnacles with shell wall composed of rostrum, carina, and one to three pairs of latera, rarely supplemented with one or more whorls of basal imbricating plates. The rostrolatus enters the sheath, but rarely fuses with the rostrum, as in the three higher superfamilies. Shell plates are simple in construction, solid, and incorporate organic chitin between carbonate layers. Opercular plates are deeply interlocked, and in some genera, may become concrescent with age. Soft part morphology includes concave labrum without notch in the central part. Cirrus III more resembles Cirrus IV than II, or may be intermediate in structure. Caudal appendages present in some species.
The Catophragmidae are a family of barnacles in the superfamily Chthamaloidea with eight shell wall plates, surrounded by several whorls of imbricating plates. The basis is membranous.
Catophragminae is a subfamily of acorn barnacles. This subfamily includes the genera Catophragmus Sowerby, 1826, and Catolasmus Ross & Newman, 2001. Species included all have a calcareous basis, carinate imbricating plates, and with long multi-segmented caudal appendage.
The subfamily Catomerinae represents Southern Hemisphere Catophragmids. This lineage is characterized by a membraneous basis, carinate imbricating plates, and in lacking caudal appendages. One genus, Catomerus is recognized. It possesses ovigerous frenae, and is thus unique among balanomorphs. Ovigerous frenae are characteristic of pedunculate barnacles, while the remaining balanomorphs have ovigerous branchiae.
Catolasmus is one of two monotypic Catophragmid acorn barnacle genera recognized in the Northern Hemisphere. It is easily identified by its prominent whorls of imbricating plates surrounding the main wall plates. It is quite large, attaining 55 mm diameter. Catolasmus represents one of the relictual lineages of the basal balanomorph radiation.
Catophragmus is the originally named genus of the family Catophragmidae. At present, it is monotypical. It is a shallow water acorn barnacle of the Tropical Western Atlantic and Caribbean characterized by small accessory imbricating plates surrounding the base of the shell wall.
The subfamily Euraphiinae was erected by Newman & Ross36 to formalize the "Group of Chthamalus hembeli of Nilsson-Cantell. As originally used in Newman & Ross, it comprised the genera Euraphia and Octomeris. In 1996, Poltarukha revised the subfamily Notochthamalinaea, and removed Octomeris to that position. In 1997 and 2000, he revised the Euraphiinae. There have been no further revisions.
Chamaesipho is a genus of four-plated notochthamaline barnacles in the Pacific Ocean limited to Australian/New Zealand temperate waters. They are intertidal in preference, and tend to form crowded columnar colonies. They can be identified in the field by having a four-plated wall, an unfused rostrum, and narrow opercular plates. Elminius, which also inhabits the same area, has four plates in its shell wall. However, in Elminius, the rostrum and rostrolatera are fused completely, and the compound rostrum receives the alae of the adjacent carinolaterals. In Chamaesipho, the unfused rostrum bears alae, and closely resembles the carina in appearance.
Chamaesipho brunnea is an intertidal barnacle common in New Zealand, in both the North Island and the South Island. Juveniles have six shell wall plates, reducing to four in adults, and with age, all plates become concrescent, with no trace of sutures inside or out. Shell is brown colored. The related, and sometimes associated Chamaesipho columna is much smaller in size, by nearly half, while Elminius, which can associate with both species, also has four shell wall plates, but plates remain distinct at all stages. The shell of C. columna corrodes to a pitted surface, while that of C. brunnea has a lamellar corrosion.
Chamaesipho columna is the type species for the barnacle genus Chamaesipho. Originally, species concept, as refined by Darwin472 consisted of C. columna. Spengler's 1790 description included specimens from "Otaheite" (Tahiti), which were far larger than any of the three described species. As Chamaesipho is restricted to Australia and New Zealand, and Spengler's Tahiti material lacked opercular plates, it is no longer included as Chamaesipho. Spengler's written description agrees with Chamaesipho.472 Spengler's Tahiti material is thought to be New Zealand Epopella, mislabeled.
Rehderella belyaevi is an unusual and monotypic barnacle genus restricted to Easter Island and Pitcairn Island. Two other barnacle species are found in the intertidal zone of these islands. Euraphia devaneyi is much larger, and possesses calcareous basis. Tesseropora sp. has four shell plates with a single row of pores in shell wall. Both Euraphia and Rehderella have six shell wall plates. Rehderella differs from both in its membraneous basis and fusion of opercular plates on each side.
The barnacle genus Nesochthamalus was erected by Foster & Newman, 1987, to include sole species Chthamalus intertextus originally named by Darwin in 1854. It is widespread on islands in Western Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii, and presents combinations of unusual features which make easily recognizable for field workers. These include dirty white shell exterior with deep purple colored interior, operculars colored purple. Opercular plates on each side calcify together in all but youngest individuals, and cannot be separated or easily distinguished from each other. This feature is shared only by Rehderella belyaevi, but in latter species, scutum and tergum can be distinguished by raised ridge replacing old articular margin. Unique feature of Nesochthamalus is its basis. In young individuals, it is entirely membraneous, and with age, becomes secondarily calcareous progressively inwards, leaving only the center membraneous. As the basis calcifies, it rises off the substrate forming a saucer shape when viewed from the side. In addition, interior of shell is secondarily calcified.
