the early stages of some new zealand shore barnacles · balanus in fig. 2 show a rounded anterior...

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TANE (1967) 13: 33 - 42 33 THE EARLY STAGES OF SOME N E W Z E A L A N D S H O R E B A R N A C L E S . by B. A. Foster* INTRODUCTION Barnacle larvae or nauplii are distinguished from the larval stages of other Crustacea by the possession of the peculiar fronto-lateral horns of the carapace. During the life cycle there are six naupliar stages, which are followed by the cypris stage which actively seeks suitable settling sites for permanent attachment and metamorphosis into the adult. Barnacle nauplii are mostly identified for description by rearing them in isolation from the first nauplius stage, which can be readily hatched from the ripe ovigerous lamellae which are the deposited egg masses in the mantle cavity of the parent and there develop to the first nauplius stage within the egg membrane. Difficulty can be experienced in successfully rearing plankton larvae about which very little is known of their environ- mental and food requirements. Some success has been achieved by using plunge-jar systems (Bassindale, 1936) or more sophisticated circulating sea water apparatus (Wisely, 1960). In most cases the nauplii must be fed, usually on cultures of phytoplanktonic algae. There is evidence that there are specific algal preferences for the various species of barnacles (Moyse, 1963). If the optimum of food species can be found then reason- able success in larval development can be achieved, e. g. cyprids of Elminius modestus can be reared from just hatched nauplii in six days on a diet of Skeletonema costatum whereas relatively fewer cyprids can be obtained on a diet of Phaeodactylum closterium in at least ten days. Alternatively, barnacle nauplii may be captured from the plankton and size frequency distributions used to indicate the stages present (e. g. Knight-Jones and Waugh, 1949 ), although such a procedure is of limited use when more than one barnacle species has unknown larvae in the plankton at the same time. The naupliar stages of European barnacles have been described by various authors (Bassindale, 1936; Pyefinch, 1949; Jones and Crisp, 1953; Norris and Crisp, 1953; Moyes, 1961; Crisp, 1962), and preliminary investigations of the life history of seven barnacle species from South Africa have been made by Sandison (1951). The life histories of New Zealand barnacles have received scant attention: Batham (1946) has described the larvae of Pollicipes spinosus, which do not feed, and Knight- Jones and Waugh (1949) have described the stages of Elminius modestus from specimens that have become established in European waters. The larval stages of most New Zealand barnacles still await description. This paper does not describe the life histories, but on the basis of observation of early stage nauplii of seven known species out- lines what may be useful characters for the identification of barnacle 'Department of Zoology, University of Auckland Present Address: Marine Science Laboratories, Henai Bridge, Anglesey, U. K.

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Page 1: The Early Stages of some New Zealand Shore Barnacles · Balanus in Fig. 2 show a rounded anterior margin of the carapace, and laterally directed fronto-lateral horns. Bassindale (1936,

T A N E (1967) 1 3 : 33 - 4 2 33

T H E E A R L Y S T A G E S O F S O M E NEW Z E A L A N D S H O R E B A R N A C L E S . by B . A . F o s t e r *

I N T R O D U C T I O N Barnac l e larvae or n a u p l i i are d i s t ingu ished from the l a r v a l

stages of other Crustacea by the posse s s i on of the pecu l iar f ronto- lateral horns of the carapace . Dur ing the l i f e c y c l e there are s i x naupl iar stages, which are fo l lowed by the cypr i s stage wh ich ac t i ve l y seeks su i tab l e se t t l ing s i t es for permanent attachment and metamorphosis into the adult . Barnac le naup l i i are most ly ident i f i ed for descr ip t ion by rear ing them in i so la t i on from the f i rst naup l ius stage, wh ich can be readi ly hatched from the ripe ovigerous lamel lae wh i ch are the deposited egg masses i n the mantle cav i ty of the parent and there develop to the f i rs t naup l ius stage within the egg membrane. D i f f i cu l t y can be exper ienced i n s u c c e s s f u l l y rearing plankton larvae about wh i ch very l i t t l e i s known of the ir environ­mental and food requirements. Some s u c c e s s has been ach ieved by us ing plunge-jar systems ( B a s s i n d a l e , 1936) or more soph i s t i ca t ed c i r cu l a t i n g sea water apparatus (Wise l y , 1960). In most cases the n a u p l i i must be fed, usua l l y on cu l tures of phytoplanktonic a lgae. There i s ev idence that there are spec i f i c a l ga l preferences for the var ious spec i e s of barnac l es (Moyse , 1963). If the optimum of food spec i es can be found then reason­able success in l a r v a l development can be ach ieved , e. g. cypr ids of Elminius modestus can be reared from jus t hatched n a u p l i i i n s i x days on a diet of Skeletonema costatum whereas re la t i ve l y fewer cypr ids can be obtained on a diet of Phaeodactylum closterium in at l eas t ten days . A l te rnat i ve ly , barnacle n a u p l i i may be captured from the p lankton and s i z e frequency d i s t r ibut i ons used to ind ica te the stages present ( e . g. Knight-Jones and Waugh, 1949 ), although such a procedure i s of l im i t ed use when more than one barnac le spec i e s has unknown larvae i n the plankton at the same t ime.

The naupl iar stages of European barnac les have been descr ibed by var ious authors ( B a s s i n d a l e , 1936; Pye f inch , 1949; Jones and C r i s p , 1953; Norr is and C r i s p , 1953; Moyes, 1961; C r i s p , 1962), and pre l iminary invest igat ions of the l i f e history of seven barnacle spec i e s from South A f r i c a have been made by Sandison ( 1951 ) . The l i fe h i s to r i es of New Zea land barnacles have rece ived scant attention: Batham (1946) has descr ibed the larvae of Pollicipes spinosus, wh ich do not feed, and Knight -Jones and Waugh (1949) have descr ibed the stages of Elminius modestus from spec imens that have become es tab l i shed in European waters .

The l a r va l stages of most New Zea land barnacles s t i l l await descr ip t ion . T h i s paper does not descr ibe the l i fe h i s t o r i e s , but on the bas is of observat ion of early stage n a u p l i i of seven known spec i e s out­l ines what may be use fu l characters for the ident i f i ca t i on of barnacle ' D e p a r t m e n t o f Z o o l o g y , U n i v e r s i t y o f A u c k l a n d

P r e s e n t A d d r e s s : M a r i n e S c i e n c e L a b o r a t o r i e s , H e n a i B r i d g e , A n g l e s e y , U . K .

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F I G . 1 N a u p l i i of Elminius plicatus: I, the f irst stage naup l ius ; II, the second stage naup l ius ; a, the entire naupl ius from dorsal and ventral aspec ts for naup l i i I and II r espec t i ve ly ; b, the antennule; c, the antenna; d, the mandible; e, the abdominal and cauda l process of naupl ius II.

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naup l i i from the p lankton.

T H E E A R L Y N A U P L I I

When mature ovigerous lamel lae are extracted from the adult and placed in fresh sea water the f irst stage naup l i i (naupl i i I) readi ly hatch and become ac t i ve . The pronounced pos i t i ve phototaxis of barnacle naup l i i convenient ly aggregates the naup l i i i n regions of maximum l ight in tens i ty , and samples can then be withdrawn and transferred to further containers or preserved. Within a few hours the f irst moult occurs to y i e l d the second stage naup l i i (naupl i i II). The requirements for cont inued growth and moult­ing then become more exact ing and no stage III n a u p l i i were obta ined . The naup l i i were preserved in 70% ethy l a l coho l or 5% formalin in s e a water, and then examined on a covered g lass s l i d e with the a id of a b inocular and a compound microscope.

Naupl ius I The f irst naupl ius ( F i g . I) carr ies three pairs of l imbs - the antennules , antennae, and mandibles - a l l of which have unfeathered setae . The fronto-latera l horns are projected in a latero-posterior d i rec t ion , and the c a u d a l . appendage i s short. The frontal f i laments are usua l l y inconsp i cuous . The first naupl ius i s a locomotory stage and thought not to feed (Pye f inch , 1949) and moults w i th in a few hours. Interspeci f ic di f ferences of stage I naup l i i are hard to f ind, and no readi ly ascerta inable characters can be sugges ted . The labrum i s nearly a lways inconsp icuous . A s i z e dif ference occurs (Table I), but the ranges of s i z e s are not mutually e x c lus i v e . Stage I naup l i i may make up some temporary part of inshore plankton, but as the moult occurs within a few hours they are probably of l e s s importance in the offshore plankton. L i v e n a u p l i i cou ld be retained un t i l metamorphosis, when s l i gh t l y better chances of ident i f i ca t i on preva i l .

Table I. D imens ions of stage I naup l i i of s i x barnacle s p e c i e s .

Species Carapace width To t a l length Length/width m. m. m. m.

C . brunnea 0. 12 0. 27 2. 25 C. columna 0. 10 0. 23 2. 30 T . purpurascens 0. 15 0. 33 2. 20 E . p l i ca tus 0. 16 0. 35 2. 19 E . modestus Q. 12 0. 25 2. 08 B . vest i tus 0. 17 0. 30 1. 76

Naupl ius II The second naupl ius ( F i g . 2) differs from the f irst stage in i t s greater s i z e ,

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Balanus vestitus

F I G . 2 Out l ines of the carapace and labrum of stage II barnacle naup l i i ; a l l drawn to the same s c a l e .

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the more forwardly swept fronto-lateral horns, the sometimes appearance of the frontal f i laments , the extens ion of the caudal spine on the carapace ( F i g . 1, He), the pronounced labrum, and the increased se ta t ion of the antennules, antennae and mandibles . The l imb setae may or may not be feathered. Outl ine drawings of the stage II naup l i i of seven barnacle spec i es are g iven in F i g . 2. These drawings are from the ventral sur faces and show the shape of the labrum. A number of se tat ion formulae have been dev i sed to summarize the setat ion charac t e r i s t i c s of each l imb of each stage of each spec ies (Bass inda le , 1936; Jones and C r i s p , 1954; and Newman, 1965). However, the procedure of check ing the number and nature of the setae of the naup l i i from a plankton sample makes such a scheme of l i t t l e p rac t i c a l va lue . The setat ion, which a lways increases from one stage to the next, i s a develop­mental as we l l as a spec i f i c feature, and i s use fu l mainly for separat ing stages wi th in the s p e c i e s . The nature of the sp ine armature and re lat ive proportions of the abdominal process of naup l i i can be used to separate many of the stages (e. g. Knight- Jones and Waugh, 1949); these characters might be useful for in terspec i f i c d i s t inc t i on as w e l l . Sandison (1951) found that " . . . no one character can be used to determine both spec i e s and stage i n naup l i i . A cons iderat ion must be made f i r s t l y of the carapace shape, the form of the labrum and of the cauda l appendages to ind ica te the spec i es , and secondly of the s i z e of the naupl ius and the se ta t ion formula to deter­mine the s t a g e " .

Tab le 2. D imens ions of stage II naup l i i of seven barnacle s p e c i e s .

Spec ies Carapace width To ta l length Length/width m. m. m. m.

C . brunnea 0. 19 0. 35 1. 89 C . columna 0. 17 0. 30 1. 76 T . purpurascens 0. 20 0. 47 2. 37 E . p l i ca tus 0. 20 0. 49 2. 50 E . modestus 0. 15 0. 36 2. 36 B . trigonus 0. 19 0. 37 2. 00 B . vest i tus 0. 20 0. 55 2. 75

On cons iderat ion of the characters shown i n F i g . 2 a d i s t inc t i on can be made between the Chthamal idae (Chamaesipho) and the Ba lan idae (Balanus, Tetraclita and Elminius). The squar i sh carapace (with a ratio of total length to carapace width of l e s s than two) and the almost s ingle labrum with two pronounced teeth on the d i s t a l border separates the genus Chamaesipho. The presence of the toothed labrum has been demonstrated for Octomeris angulosa and Chthamalus dentata by Sand ison (1951) and for

Chthamalus stellatus by B a s s i n d a l e (1936); but neither worker has suggested that th is may be a fami ly charac te r i s t i c .

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P I G . 3 The percentage of adult barnacle populat ions at L e i g h with mature ( shaded ) and immature (unshaded) larvae as ovigerous lamel lae wi th in the mantle cav i t y . Samplings arranged i n quarter monthly per iods. B l o c k s below the ax is ind icate populat ions sampled but no lamel lae found.

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The two spec i e s of Chamaesipho are not eas i l y d i s t ingu i shed except on the bas i s of s i z e , C . brunnea being the larger . T h i s c l o s e l y para l l e l s the s im i l a r i t y of the adults where the d i s t i nc t i on i s one of s i z e and a number of minor cons idera t ions of mouthparts and c i r r a l se ta t ion . Jones and C r i s p (1954) d i s t i ngu i sh Elminius modestus and Balanus improvisus pr imari ly by the labrum which i n the former spec i e s " t h e middle lobe protrudes by a d is tance greater than one third of i t s w id th ; th is i s not true for any other known spec i es of Balanus". A l though Jones and C r i s p suggest th is as a generic charac te r i s t i c , Elminius plicatus ( F i g . 1) does not show a protruding middle lobe of the labrum. The genera Elminius and Tetraclita differ from Balanus by the straighter anterior margin of the carapace and the more forwardly swept fronto-lateral horns. E. modestus may be separated from E. plicatus and T. purpurascens by the protruding middle lobe of the labrum. The carapace of E. plicatus i s more of a " t h i s t l e " shape than the s lender " w i n e - g l a s s " shape of that of T. purpur­ascens but otherwise these two spec i es are very s im i l a r . Bo th spec i es of

Balanus i n F i g . 2 show a rounded anterior margin of the carapace , and la tera l ly directed fronto- lateral horns. Bass inda l e (1936, p. 69) recognized the s imi la r i t y of the naup l i i of the spec i e s of Balanus. In the present case , B. vestitus differs from B. trigonus by i t s more s lender shape and greater total length.

The breeding seasons T o gain some idea of the l i k e l y s easona l occurrence of n a u p l i i i n

the p lankton, the breeding state of adult barnacle populat ions was i n v e s t i ­gated. In F i g . 3 the presence of immature and mature ov igerous lamel lae within adults of the f ive commonest barnacles at L e i g h are represented as percentages of the popula t ion . The d i s t i n c t i on between immature (uneyed) and mature (eyed) larvae was made on the bas i s of co lour . T h e s i z e of the samples and the co lours used are g iven i n Tab l e 3. Infrequent sampl ing of Balanus trigonus i nd i ca t es a summer breeding per iod (Table 4), where mature larvae hatched when extracted and p laced in sea water. Large numbers of recent ly set t led B. trigonus were observed on most ava i lab le subl i t tora l surfaces and to some extent In the lower l i t t o r a l during late February and early March of 1965 and 1966. N a u p l i i have been found in the mantle cav i ty of Balanus vestitus i n August , and these hatched when p laced in s e a water. No n a u p l i i have been found i n the summer months. Fo r Pollicipes spinosus Batham (1946) states " s ca t t e r ed Ind iv idua ls show lamel lae from December un t i l J u l y . The main breeding period i s , however, from February to A p r i l , when two thirds of the adults are carry ing embryos " .

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Tab l e 3. Sample s i z e and co lours used i n sampl ing adult barnac l es for the presence of ovigerous l ame l l a e .

Spec ies Sample s i z e Immature Mature

C . brunnea 50 - 120 orange brown C . co lumna 100 - 200 orange/cream grey T . purpurascens 20 - 100 cream grey E . p l i ca tus 50 - 100 cream brown E . modestus 50 - 120 cream grey

Tab l e 4. Records of the presence of ovigerous lame l lae i n adult Balanus trigonus, from L e i g h .

Date Sample s i z e % without % immature % mature lamel lae l ame l l ae lame l lae

19. 12. 64 12 100 0 0 21. 1. 65 54 67 33 0

2. 2. 65 37 81 19 0 3. 2. 65 8 63 37 0

21. 2. 65 82 38 45 17 20. 3. 65 47 98 0 2 29. 8. 65 8 100 0 0

Seasona l var ia t ion in breeding per iods has f a c i l i t a t ed the d i s t i n c ­t ion of n a u p l i i i n European waters because of the r es t r i c t i on to a few spec i es at any one t ime. On l o c a l shores, Elminius modestus, E. plicatus and Chamaesipho columna possess mature n a u p l i i i n at l eas t some ind i v ­idua l s i n a l l months. Others have a predominantly summer breeding period (Chamaesipho brunnea and Balanus trigonus) or a winter breeding period (poss ib ly Balanus vestitus). A l though the presence of r i p e ovigerous lamel lae i n the mantle c a v i t i e s of the adult populat ions does not necess ­ar i l y ind icate the period of spawning and neither ind ica te the se t t l ing season, It i s un l i k e l y that at any one time there would be l e s s than three of the spec i es of barnacles present i n the p lankton as l a rvae . Furthermore, the larvae of other barnacles that ex is t on or near New Z e a l a n d shores are even l e s s known than the ones wi th a brief mention i n th i s paper, e. g. Balanus amphitrite. Balanus decorus and Lepas spp.

The separat ion of the barnacle n a u p l i i .

The s im i l a r i t y of barnacle naup l i i i s at once apparent, which ind ica tes that the ancestor of the Tho rac i c a underwent a metamorphosis s im i l a r to that of the present members of the group (Groom, 1892). The

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s im i l a r i t i e s of the larvae may we l l be use fu l i n deducing the phylogeny of the T h o r a c i c a . The ident i f i ca t i on of n a u p l i i requires f i r s t l y the descr ip t ion of each stage of each spec i e s and secondly the recogni t ion of sets of d iag­nost ic characters which for p lankton ana l y s i s need to be eas i l y ascer ta ined or measured. The use of l imb se ta t ion formulae i s at once d i scarded for the reasons g iven above. The use of s i z e i s of some use , except that as i n a l l b i o l og i ca l samples a range of s i z e i s more appropriate than a s ing le measure­ment. Al though the s i z e range of each stage of a spec i e s may be e x c l u s i v e , overlap with the same or other spec i es occur . The shape of the carapace and labrum, and the arrangement of the ventra l sp ines on the abdominal process are somewhat better and more readi ly observed charac ters . The seasona l occurrence of larvae may be of some use with some s p e c i e s .

The toothed s ing l e , or almost s ing l e , labrum may be character is t i c of the Chthamal idae. In New Z e a l a n d the Chamaesipho spec i e s m a y b e separated by the s i z e d i f ference and the expected s easona l occurrence of C . brunnea during mid and late summer. The Ba l an idae have a tr i lobed labrum at a l l stages without prominent d i s t a l teeth. The ident i f i ca t ion of the naup l i i may be attempted on the l i n es already suggested, but obv ious ly awaits further inves t iga t ion into the l i f e h i s to r i es of a l l s p e c i e s .

S U M M A R Y

The f irst and second stage naup l i i of seven spec i e s of New Zea land barnacles are brief ly descr ibed wi th respect to characters that might be used for the ident i f i ca t ion of bulk samples of n a u p l i i co l l ec ted from the plankton. The Chthamal idae may be d i s t ingu i shed from the Ba lan idae by the presence of a s ing le lobed and toothed labrum. Data i s a l so g iven on the breeding seasons of the spec i e s .

R E F E R E N C E S

B a s s i n d a l e R., 1936. The developmental stages of three E n g l i s h barnac les , Balanus balanoides, Chthamalus stellatus and Verruca stroemia. Proc. zool. Soc. Lond., 106; 57 - 74.

Batham E . J . , 1946. Pollicipes spinosus Quoy and Gaimard. II Embryonic and larva l development. Trans. R. soc. N. Z., 75; 405 - 418.

Cr i sp D. J . , 1962. The p lanktonic stages of the C i r r i p e d i a Balanus balan­oides ( L . ) and Balanus balanus ( L . ) from north temperature waters. Crustaceana, 3; 207 - 221.

Groom T . T . , 1892. On the early development of C i r r i p ed i a . Proc. R. Soc. 52; 158 - 162.

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Jones L . W., and C r i s p D. J . , 1954. The l a r v a l stages of the barnacle Balanus improvisus Darw in . Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 123; 765 - 780.

Kn ight -Jones E . W. and Waugh G . D . , 1949. On the l a r va l development of Elminius modestus Darw in . J. mar. biol. Ass. U. K., 28; 413 - 428.

Moyse J . , 1961. The l a r va l stages of Acasta spongites and Pyrgoma anglicum (C i r r iped ia ) . Proc. zool. Soc. Lond., 137; 371 - 392.

Moyse J . , 1963. A comparison of the va lue of f lage l la tes and diatoms as food for barnacle larvae. J. Cons. int. Explor. Mer., 28; 175 - 187.

Newman W. A . , 1965. P rospec tus on l a r v a l c i rr ipede setat ion formulae. Crus taceana , 9; 51 - 56.

Norr is E . and C r i s p D. J . , 1953. The d is t r ibut ion and p lanktonic stages of the c i r r ipede Balanus perforatus Brug ie re . Proc. zool. Soc. Lond., 123; 393 - 409.

Pye f i n ch K. A . , 1949. The l a r v a l s tages of Balanus crenatus. Proc. zool. Soc. Lond., 118; 916 - 923.

Sandison E . E . , 1954. The ident i f i ca t i on of the naup l i i of some South A f r i can barnacles with notes on their l i f e h i s t o r i e s . Trans. R. Soc. S. Africa., 34; 69 - 101.

Wisely B . , I960. Exper iments on rearing the barnacle Elminius modestus Darwin to the se t t l ing stage i n the laboratory. Aust. J. mar. Freshw. Res., 11; 42 - 54.