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- Title
THE GROWTH RATE OF BALANUS BALANOIDES (L.).
- Authors
Barnes, H.
- Abstract
The article provides information on a study on the growth rate of the two common barnacles, Balanus balanoides and B. crenatus. When individuals are grown on panels which are kept free from other organisms, and which are maintained continuously submerged, the observed growth rates are far greater than those found for animals in their normal habitat. Under the experimental conditions, B. crenatus virtually reaches its maximum adult size. B. balanoides although still increasing in size a little during the second season does reach some 17 mm in the first season's growth. In their natural habits both species are only some 3-5 mm diameter at the end of first summer. The above observations relate to individuals growing on panels that were carefully cleaned at short intervals and kept relatively free from other sedentary organisms throughout the whole period of the observations; algae were carefully removed not only from the panels but also as far as possible from the barnacles themselves. The greatly enhanced growth rates under these conditions suggest that the presence of other organisms and in particular heavy algal growth is an important factor in restricting the growth rate under natural conditions.
- Subjects
BARNACLES; SEMIBALANUS balanoides; GROWTH; FEASIBILITY studies; CIRRIPEDIA; CRUSTACEA; ENTOMOSTRACA; AQUATIC resources
- Publication
Oikos, 1955, Vol 6, Issue 2, p109
- ISSN
0030-1299
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/3564848