Effects of hydrodynamic conditions and feeding period on size, growth and cirral behavior of the stalked-barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes
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1
University of Evora, MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório de Ciências do Mar, Sines, Portugal
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2
Escola de Turismo e Tecnologia Marítima, Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Portugal
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3
Escola de Turismo e Tecnologia Marítima, Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Portugal
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4
University of Evora, Portugal
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5
Departamento de Biologia, Escola de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Portugal
The stalked barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes is abundant in extremely wave-exposed rocky intertidal habitats along the Northeast Atlantic coast, being rare in sheltered conditions. Environmental hydrodynamics might shape barnacle assemblages by affecting individual filter-feeding behaviour and growth.
A recent study performed under laboratory conditions indicated that hydrodynamic conditions did not affect survival, but had consistent effects on size and growth of P. pollicipes, which grew faster at high turbulence. In that previous study, barnacles had been fed daily with Artemia nauplii during 2 hours (feeding period) and hydrodynamic conditions (turbulence) had been manipulated through the use of a flow pump according to three treatments: low” - no pump; “feed” - pump turned on only during feeding period; and “high” - pump permanently turned on. Results from the described experiment could be explained by the enhancement of respiratory efficiency due to cirral extension under high turbulence, and consequently by a higher allocation of energy to growth.
The aim of the present study was to test if cirral behaviour, size and growth are affected by hydrodynamic conditions and by the length of the feeding period.
In October 2018, wild juvenile barnacles, that were fixed on artificial substrata (barticles) deployed in July 2017 on the intertidal zone of a very exposed rocky shore (Cape of Sines, Portugal), were collected, counted, marked with calcein and randomly allocated to twelve well-aerated seawater aquaria. Hydrodynamic conditions were set-up by using a flow pump to increase water turbulence within each aquarium. The following experimental orthogonal design was considered: turbulence (fixed factor, 4 levels: “off” - pump permanently turned off; “feed off”- pump turned off only during feeding periods; “feed on” - pump turned on only during feeding periods; and “on” - pump permanently turned on); feeding period (fixed factor, 3 levels: 2h feeding period followed by 2h immersed period; 2h feeding period followed by 2h emersed period; 4h feeding period). Artemia nauplii at a concentration of 2 nauplii per ml was supplied daily to all treatments. One aquarium was randomly allocated to each of the twelve conditions. Each aquarium contained 6 barticles with an average of 12 barnacles per barticle. On December 2018, all barticles were removed for analyses of barnacle size (maximum rostrum-carina distance, RC) and growth. Individual growth was measured as the monthly increment of RC relative to the calcein mark.
Additionally, on 6 dates during the experimental period, behaviour of the cirri was investigated by filming barnacles attached to a barticle during periods of 2 minutes before the feeding period and 2 minutes during the feeding period.
Results will be analysed and discussed.
Acknowledgements
This study was funded by the project “AQUAPOLLIS+: Aquaculture of the stalked-barnacle (Pollicipes pollicipes) – ALT20-03-0145-FEDER-000003.
Keywords:
Marine aquaculture,
Optimization of growth,
Stalked-barnacles,
Cirripedia,
water flow
Conference:
XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Fisheries, Aquaculture and Biotechnology
Citation:
Seabra
M,
Santos
M,
Jacinto
D,
Mateus
D,
Fernandes
JN,
Pombo
A,
Silva
T,
Castro
JJ and
Cruz
T
(2019). Effects of hydrodynamic conditions and feeding period on size, growth and cirral behavior of the stalked-barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes.
Front. Mar. Sci.
Conference Abstract:
XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) .
doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00146
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Received:
19 May 2019;
Published Online:
27 Sep 2019.
*
Correspondence:
Miss. Maria Inês Seabra, University of Evora, MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório de Ciências do Mar, Sines, Évora, Portugal, iseabra@uevora.pt