acorn barnacle Bathylasma corolliforme

The acorn barnacle Bathylasma corolliforme is found throughout Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula, South Sandwich Islands, Scotia Bank off South Georgia Island, and Kerguelen Islands from 6 to 1,500 meters depth [1,2,4,5,6].

Bathylasma corolliforme is not typically known to live at depths of less than one hundred meters in Antarctica; here it was photographed at Cape Armitage at six meters depth and it has been observed near Cape Evans at 24 meters depth [1,2]. The presence of B. corolliforme may be linked to the presence of currents sufficiently strong to bring food into its grasp and thus ensure survival [1].

In these photos, Bathylasma corolliforme doesn't have complemental males on or near its top opercular plates; small-sized male barnacles are found attached to larger hermaphroditic individuals to facilitate reproduction [1,3].

1: Journal of Biogeography 9:95-109, 1982; 2: Rob Robbins, personal communication, 2005; 3: William A Newman, personal communication, 2005; 4: Revision of the balanomorph barnacles; including a catalog of the species. WA Newman & A Ross.San Diego Society of Natural History Memoir 9, 1976; 5: Antarctic Cirripedia; monographic account based on specimens collected chiefly under the United States Antarctic research program, 1962-1965. WA Newman & A Ross. Washington DC: American Geophysical Union, 1971; 6: Crustacea Cirripedia Thoracica: Chionelasmatoidea and Pachylasmatoidea (Balanomorpha) of New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna Islands, with a review of all Currently Assigned Taxa. D. Jones. IN: A. Crosnier, ed. Resultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM, Volume 21. Memoires du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle 184:141-283, 2000

Text ©Peter Brueggeman. Photographs ©Rob Robbins. Photographs may not be used in any form without the express written permission of Rob Robbins.