Balanus
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Balanus is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea.
Balanus amphitrite is small about 1.5 cm diameter. The color is whitish with purple or brown longitudinal stripes. Surface of test plates are longitudinally ribbed. The interlocking tergum and scutum, the paired structures which cover the animal inside are as pictured below.
A similar species, Balanus reticulatus Utinomi, commonly occurs with B. amphitrite. It also has longitudinal purple or brown stripes, but these stripes are intersected by horizontal grooves, giving the surface of the test plates a rough reticulated striation, unlike B. amphitrite. It can also be distinguished by examination of the tergum and scutum. Note the more sharply pointed apex of the tergum and the elongated and narrower tergum spur of B. reticulatus.
It can be found in the intertidal fouling communities of harbors and protected embayments. The live attached to any available hard surface, including rocks, pier pilings, ship hull, oyster shells, and mangrove roots.
Barnacles have specialized paired appendages, called cirri, that they use as a scoop net, reaching out into the water and extracting food particles. When their cirri are drawn back, food is scraped off into the mouth.
[edit] Species
- Balanus amphitrite : amphitrite barnacle, little striped barnacle.
- Balanus aquila : eagle barnacle
- Balanus balanus : rough barnacle
- Balanus calidus
- Balanus cariosus
- Balanus crenatus : rough barnacle
- Balanus decorus
- Balanus eburneus : ivory barnacle
- Balanus engbergi
- Balanus evermanni
- Balanus flos
- Balanus flosculus
- Balanus galeatus : rock barnacle
- Balanus glandula
- Balanus hameri
- Balanus hesperius
- Balanus hoekianus
- Balanus improvisus : bay barnacle
- Balanus laevis
- Balanus merrilli
- Balanus nubilis : giant acorn barnacle
- Balanus pacificus
- Balanus pentacrini
- Balanus perforatus : common barnacle
- Balanus regalis
- Balanus reticulatus
- Balanus rostratus
- Balanus spongicola
- Balanus subalbidus
- Balanus tintinnabulum: acorn barnacle, acorn shell
- Balanus trigonus
- Balanus venustus
- Balanus vestitus
The species Balanus balanoides (common barnacle, common rock barnacle, Northern rock Barnacle) has been reclassified as Semibalanus balanoides in the family Archaeobalanidae, due to its membranous base.
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