Diatoms on the cirri of tropical barnacles

Abstract

Two species of large extension feeding barnacles are abundant on exposed tropical rocky shores of northern Australia. The cirri of many specimens carry varying numbers of a commensal diatom in some cases with as many as 2000 individuals on a single cirrus. The araphid diatom resembles the genus, Lichmophora within the family Fragilariaceae although no description has yet been published. Species of Lichmophora are common benthic diatoms in these waters as an epiphyte on macroalgae and common primary fouling diatoms on test panels. The diatom reported here has not been found on any substratum other than the barnacles Tetraclita squamosa and Australobalanus imperator, very rarely on Balanus amphitrite. Analysis of the diatom distribution on the cirri shows significantly higher numbers on the posterior captorial cirri. The effect of commensal diatoms on the feeding efficiency of the barnacles is discussed.