On the antennular secretion of the cyprid of Balanus amphitrite amphitrite, and its role as a settlement pheromone

In exploring a substratum, Balanus amphitrite amphitrite Darwin (Crustacea: Cirripedia) cyprids deposit ‘footprints’ of antennular secretion. The results of in vitro settlement assays suggest that in addition to serving as a temporary adhesive, the secretion acts as a pheromone, in that its presence...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1994-02, Vol.74 (1), p.243-250
Main Authors: Clare, Anthony S., Freet, Rebecca K., McClary, Marion
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal ethology
Biological and medical sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Protozoa. Invertebrata
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
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Summary:In exploring a substratum, Balanus amphitrite amphitrite Darwin (Crustacea: Cirripedia) cyprids deposit ‘footprints’ of antennular secretion. The results of in vitro settlement assays suggest that in addition to serving as a temporary adhesive, the secretion acts as a pheromone, in that its presence induces the settlement of conspecific cyprids. This result is in accord with a previous study on Balanus balanoides (L.)(=Semibalanus balanoides). In settlement assays, the pheromone is likely to contribute to an observed positive linear relationship between settlement and cyprid density. The density effect should thus be an important consideration in the design of barnacle settlement assays. In the field, cyprid searching behaviour may render a surface more attractive to settlement by cypris larvae.
ISSN:0025-3154
1469-7769
DOI:10.1017/S0025315400035803