OCCURRENCE OF THE PEDUNCULATE BARNACLE VIRGATUM VIRGATUM IN THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN Paolo Merella, A Scala, R Marrosu, G Garippa

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Paolo Merella, A Scala, R Marrosu, G Garippa. OCCURRENCE OF THE PEDUNCULATE BAR- NACLE CONCHODERMA VIRGATUM VIRGATUM IN THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN. Vie et Milieu / Life & Environment, Observatoire Océanologique - Laboratoire Arago, 2005, pp.41-44. ￿hal-03219000￿

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OCCURRENCE OF THE PEDUNCULATE BARNACLE CONCHODERMA VIRGATUM VIRGATUM IN THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN

P. MERELLA1, A. SCALA1, R. MARROSU2, G. GARIPPA1 1Dipartimento di Biologia Animale, Sezione di Parassitologia e Malattie Parassitarie, Università degli Studi di Sassari, via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italia 2Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale no1, Sassari, via Monte Grappa 82, 07100 Sassari, Italia Corresponding author: Paolo Merella: [email protected]

CONCHODERMA VIRGATUM ABSTRACT. – The finding of two specimens of the pedunculate barnacle Concho- PENNELLA INSTRUCTA derma virgatum virgatum (Spengler, 1790) in the western Mediterranean is repor- XIPHIAS GLADIUS ted. This is the first report which details the identification of this organism at the EPIBIOSIS WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN subspecies level in the Mediterranean. The barnacles were attached to the trunk of one individual of the Pennella instructa Wilson, 1817, parasite of the swordfish Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758. A description of the specimens found is given and some observations are made on the choice of the site of settlement of this organism.

CONCHODERMA VIRGATUM RÉSUMÉ. – La récolte de deux exemplaires du Cirripède pédonculé Conchoderma PENNELLA INSTRUCTA virgatum virgatum (Spengler, 1790) en Méditerranée occidentale est rapportée. XIPHIAS GLADIUS L’identification de cet organisme au niveau de la sous-espèce en Méditerranée est ÉPIBIOSE MÉDITERRANÉE OCCIDENTALE détaillée pour la première fois. Les Cirripèdes sont fixés au tronc d’un individu du Copépode Pennella instructa Wilson, 1817, parasite de l’Espadon Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758. Les spécimens trouvés sont décrits et quelques observations sont faites sur le choix du site d’emplacement de cet organisme.

INTRODUCTION MATERIAL AND METHODS

Conchoderma virgatum (Spengler, 1790), is a In January 2003 two specimens of C. virgatum were pedunculate barnacle (Cirripedia: ) found attached to the trunk of one individual of the para- widely distributed in temperate and tropical waters sitic copepod Pennella instructa Wilson, 1817 (Fig. 1). all over the world (Beckett 1968, Dawson 1969, The parasite (190 mm total length, 95 mm exposed Relini 1980, Memmi 1983). This species com- length) was located in the insertion of the left pectoral fin of a swordfish Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758 monly lives as an epibiont on pelagic marine or- (110 cm lower jaw - fork length, 12 kg total weight) ganisms, such as cetaceans, marine , sea caught off the Port of Alghero (Sardinia, western Medi- snakes, fishes and , often indirectly attached terranean). by means of parasitic or epibiont (Jones et al. 1968, Dawson 1969, Hastings 1972, Relini 1980, Yamato et al. 1996, Oliver & Trilles 2000, Garibaldi & Relini 2003). It is also found on RESULTS sub-surface drifting objects, such as ships’ hulls, buoys, ropes, etc. (Beckett 1968, Roskell 1969, The two barnacles (Fig. 1) measured 46 and Tsikhon-Lukanina et al. 1977, Parnell 2001). 47 mm in total length and 21 and 24 mm in According to Memmi (1983), in his revision of capitular length. The capitulum was flattened and the genus Conchoderma Olfers, 1814, this genus indistinctly separated from the pedunculum. Five includes two species: C. auritum (Linnaeus, 1767) reduced shell plates were present: 2 scuta, 2 terga and C. virgatum, the last one including the two and 1 carina, in latero-ventral, posterior and dorsal subspecies C. virgatum virgatum (Spengler, 1790) position, respectively. The scuta were “Y” shaped and C. virgatum chelonophilus (Leach, 1818). In and concave in the interior side, the anterior lobe this paper the subspecies C. virgatum virgatum is was acuminate, the posterior narrow and rounded reported for the first time in the Mediterranean. and the lateral short and rounded. The terga were 42 P. MERELLA et al.

Fig. 1. – Top, Conchoderma virgatum virgatum attached to the trunk of Pennella instructa. Bottom, Detail of one of the specimens of Conchoderma virgatum virgatum. Bar = 30 mm. CONCHODERMA VIRGATUM VIRGATUM IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 43 thin and curved outwards with the tips slightly Benz 1984, Oliver & Trilles 2000) or by objects thickened. The carina was arcuated and narrowed fastened to fishes, such as hooks, twines and tags in the anterior extremity. In the postero-dorsal end (MacIntyre 1966, Beckett 1968). Direct attachment of the mantle three umbones were present: 1 medial of C. virgatum on fish is uncommon, and it has al- and 2 lateral, joined with the carina and the terga, most never been reported on the integral skin respectively. The angles formed by the tergal mar- (Jones et al. 1968, Beckett 1968, Balakrishnan gin with the scutal and carinal ones were both 1969, Dawson 1969, Goucha & Ktari 1978), proba- nearly right angles. The colour of the mantle was bly due to an inhibitory effect of the external mu- yellowish-grey, with 3 dark blue-violet bands for cous secretions (Jones et al. 1968, Balakrishnan each side of the capitulum, joining partially in the 1969). More recently, Garibaldi & Relini (2003) pedunculum. The cirri were dark blue-violet in the reported the direct fixation of C. virgatum on bony distal part, and grey-yellowish in the proximal. structures (bill, lower jaw) of X. gladius from the This description agrees widely with that of the Ligurian Sea (western Mediterranean), and de- subspecies C. virgatum virgatum given by Memmi scribed the uncommon settlement of clusters of C. (1983). According to this author, the tropical sub- virgatum on the bill in four swordfish, discussing species C. virgatum chelonophilus may be easily the possible influence on the feeding of the fish. differentiated from the present one by the follow- Although C. virgatum is commonly considered ing characters: terga almost straight, capitulum as an opportunistic settler (Jones et al. 1968, blunted, dark bands of the mantle feebly evident. Roskell 1969, Retamal & Hermosilla 1970, Relini 1980), it appears to be particularly frequent on par- asitic pennellids of billfishes (Hiro 1937, Causey 1960, Beckett 1968, Garibaldi & Relini 2003, pres- DISCUSSION ent record) and on sea turtles (Roskell 1969, Chevreux & de Guerne 1893, Eckert & Eckert 1987, Laurent 1988). This fact is probably related The presence of C. virgatum has been sporadi- to the overlapping of the habitats of these cally reported by various authors in the Mediterra- epi-mesopelagic organisms (Nakamura 1985, nean: Chevreux & de Guerne (1893), Laurent Eckert & Eckert 1987, Laurent 1988, Márquez (1988) and Kitsos et al. (2003) reported this spe- 1990, Parnell 2001) and to the characteristics of the cies on marine turtles; Tsikhon-Lukanina et al. external surface of pennellids and sea turtles, that (1977) on buoys; Goucha & Ktari (1978) and Gari- seem to be a favourable substratum for this barna- baldi & Relini (2003) on fishes; Aznar et al. (1994) cle. and Oliver & Trilles (2000) on cetaceans. How- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. – Thanks to Dr T Scholz for his ever, none of the above mentioned authors details help in interpreting the Memmi’s Cyrillic paper. Mrs V the identification of the organisms at the subspe- Walker revised the English version of the manuscript. cies level. 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