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Growth and breeding of a primitive stalked barnacle Leucolepas longa (Cirripedia: Scalpellomorpha: Eolepadidae: Neolepadinae) inhabiting a volcanic seamount off Papua New Guinea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2004

V. Tunnicliffe
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 3N5
A.J. Southward
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 3N5 Marine Biological Association, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK

Abstract

A pedunculate barnacle, Leucolepas longa, occurs in densities over 1000 individuals m−2 on the summit of a small seamount near New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. Most of the population grows on vesicomyid clams projecting from sulphide-rich sediments, or on their dead shells, but the barnacle also settles on rock and on tubes of a vestimentiferan. Collections of several hundred barnacles allowed comparison of population and reproductive characteristics. The barnacle is a suspension feeder with a lightly-armoured stalk that can grow to 40 cm above the bottom. Growth appears to be rapid and both reproduction and recruitment are continuous. The barnacles brood egg masses within the capitular chamber and 46% of one sample was brooding. Lecithotrophic nauplii released upon retrieval to the surface were cultivated for 45 days. Metamorphosis to Stage IV yielded an actively swimming larva about 1 mm long overall, which still contained lipid reserves, indicating capacity for wide dispersal.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2004 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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