Chthamalus

Chthamalus
A colony of Chthamalus stellatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Maxillopoda
Subclass: Cirripedia
Order: Sessilia
Family: Chthamalidae
Genus: Chthamalus
Ranzani, 1817 [1]

Chthamalus (χθαμαλός, "flat" or "on the ground"[2]) is a genus of barnacles that is found along almost all coasts of the northern hemisphere, as well as many regions in the southern hemisphere. These small barnacles have been studied in part because of the taxonomic confusion over a group of species that, by and large, are morphologically and ecologically quite similar. In recent years, molecular techniques have identified a number of cryptic species that have been subsequently confirmed by taxonomists using morphological measurements. Most recently the genus has been shown to be paraphyletic, with the genus Microeuraphia nested within Chthamalus.[3]

Field Identification

Identification of barnacles in the field can be challenging, and identification of particular species of Chthamalus is not considered reliable in the field other than a few species. However, a notable distinction in the arrangement of wall plates can help biologists distinguish Chthamalid barnacles from the other common barnacles in the family Balanidae. In chthamalid barnacles, the side plates overlap both the rostrum and the carina (the plates at the ends of the opercular opening), while in balanids one end plate (the rostrum) overlaps the adjoining side plates (rostrolaterals).


Species

The following species are included in the genus Chthamalus:[1]

  • Chthamalus angustitergum Pilsbry, 1916
  • Chthamalus anisopoma Pilsbry, 1916
  • Chthamalus antennatus Darwin, 1854
  • Chthamalus challengeri Hoek, 1883
  • Chthamalus dalli Pilsbry, 1916
  • Chthamalus dentatus Krauss
  • Chthamalus fragilis
  • Chthamalus hedgecocki Pitombo & Burton, 2007
  • Chthamalus malayensis Pilsbry, 1916
  • Chthamalus montagui Southward, 1976
  • Chthamalus moro Pilsbry, 1916
  • Chthamalus neglectus Yan & Chan, 2004
  • Chthamalus panamensis Pilsbry, 1916
  • Chthamalus proteus Dando & Southward, 1980
  • Chthamalus sinensis Ren, 1984
  • Chthamalus southwardorum Pitombo & Burton, 2007
  • Chthamalus stellatus (Poli, 1795)

References

  1. 1 2 Benny K. K. Chan (2011). "Chthamalus Ranzani, 1817". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  2. David H. McNicoll, M.D. Dictionary of Natural History Terms with their derivations.
  3. John P. Wares, M. Sabrina Pankey, Fabio Pitombo, Liza Gómez Daglio, Yair Achituv (2009). Bruno, John F., ed. "A "shallow phylogeny" of shallow barnacles (Chthamalus)". PLoS One. 4 (5): e5567. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005567. PMC 2678261Freely accessible. PMID 19440543.


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