Settlement and Growth of the Pendunculate Barnacle Pollicipes polymerus Sowerby in an Intake Seawater System at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California

Abstract

Settlement and growth of the pedunculate barnacle Pollicipes polymerus was studied within an intake seawater system at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California. Over a 47-day period (SeptemberOctober 1983), following a thorough cleaning of this system, cypris larvae settled, metamorphosed, and grew into juveniles with a mean size of 5.49 mm ± 2.32 SE rostro -carinal length, reaching a maximum size of 11 mm after 47 days. During this period, the barnacles were constantly immersed in seawater at 20°e. Settlement plate experiments using terra-cotta tiles indicate that the larvae preferentially sett le on scratched and pitted regions of the tile. Greatest settlement and survival to 2-3-mm stages were seen on the peduncles and capitula of adults affixed to tiles placed in the flume for 3 weeks. No settlement of larvae was observed on the valves of mussels placed into the flume for the same time period.