Cirrípedos: What are, characteristics and reproduction

For a long time It was believed that the cirrípedos were mollusks Due to its morphological similarities, but thanks to studies carried out it was shown that the larvae of the cirrípedos were like those of the crustaceans. Nowadays we can confirm that cirrípedos belong to the subclass cirripedia and that are found inside the crustacea subfilus.

We invite you to know some of the characteristics of these extravagant organisms:

• It is the only group of sesile crustaceans: Some are free life and other animal parasites.
• They live fixed to a substrate: The majority are located on the surface of stones, floating objects, piles or animals, while, those that are parasites are usually lodged in internal cavities of crabs and other animals.
• His name is because They present 6 pairs of thoracic appendices: They are called “cirrus”, which uses to move the water and catch the particles that are suspended in it to feed.
• They have a kind of mantle: It covers the entire body of the larvae and also of adults, opens at the top where the body appears the cirrus. The mantle is formed by slightly articulated or cemented calcareous plates.
• The species that are parasites have changed their morphological structure totally: They do this to adapt to their way of life, so much that some can only identify in their larval state. We tell you more about parasitism: definition and examples, here.
• They suffer a metamorphosis Throughout its development: through a larval, postlarval, youth and adult state. Discover more details about what metamorphosis is in the following article.
• About 1,300 Cirrípedos species have been described: among which there are two well -known morphological types; Balans and perclabes.
• Balans have a conical and truncated mantle: The calcareous plates are merged from each other and are fixed to the substrate by means of adhesion glands that are in a membranous base.
• The perclabes have a fleshy peduncle: On top of it they carry the rest of the body covered by calcareous plates linked by elastic ligaments, resembling the clams.
• The last Larval stadium is called “Larva Cipris”: It has a bivalve form, it is able to adhere to the substrate thanks to cementing glands and has antenular glands that it uses to explore the substrate.

Cirrípedos can divide them into three large groups, let’s see what are and examples of each of them:

• Parasites cirrípedos (Rhizocephala infraclase): like percebe Sacculina CarciniParasito del Cangrejo de Mar (Carcinus Maenas).
• Excavators cirrípedos (Acrothoracic infraclase): as Australophialus pecorus and Kochlorinopsis discoporella.
• True Cirrípedos (Thoracic infraclase): as Pollicipes policipes and Austromegabalanus psittacusa percebe and a balano respectively consumed in gastronomy. We also have a Chelonibia Testudinaria and Pitylepas Hexastylo They are epibionting turtles of sea turtles.

All cirrípedos are marine and some other estuarials, they are found in:

• Rocky coastlines.
• Artificial substrates: such as plastic, docks, shipments, wood.
• Living organisms: such as turtles, mollusks, cetaceans and even other crustaceans.

They are widely distributed worldwide, one of the factors that has allowed its great displacement and colonization is the transport of adults attached to ships of ships.

They have developed the ability to survive in extreme environmentsas in high temperatures, low tide, under the impact of waves and even hydrothermal chimneys. They also live in a wide range of depths, from intertidal areas to the deep sea.

Free life cirrípedos They are filter animalsmany species feed on plankton that manage to capture with their cirrus. These appendices They move the water to capture the particles that are suspended in it. In general, posterior cirrus are longer and are used as food collectors, while the previous ones are shorter and are used to transport the particles to the mouth.

The digestive tract is divided into two:

• A stomode: in which the well -developed jaws and maxilas grind the food.
• A proterode: That forms the fecal packages, between them is the digestion zone.

On the other hand, the internal parasitic species of animals penetrate inside the host’s tissues and absorb the nutrients directly.

Cirrípedos can carry out two types of reproduction, depending on the way they have. Therefore, we find that:

• Sesile forms (such as Balanas and Pirus): They are preferably hermaphrodites with cross fertilization.
• Parasites cirrípedos: They are usually dioacious.

The ovaries Of the Cirrípedos They are found on the walls of the mantle or in the peduncle depending on whether sessile or pedunculated species. The testicles They are in the cephalic region And they connect through sperm ducts with a penis, which is introduced into the cavity of the mantle of another hermaphrodite or the female to release sperm and fertilize.

One peculiarity is that the penis can increase its length several times and thus be able to fertilize neighboring cirrípedos who are more or less far from it.

Eggs are incubated Within the mantle cavity, when they hatch, larvae are released that suffer successive mute to form an adult, the first larva is called Nauplius, she is a swimmer and feed on the plankton. Then it gives rise to a cypris larva, which does not feed and has a Bivalvo shell that covers the entire body, including cirrus. Finally the Cipris suffers one last transformation and gives rise to the adult.

We tell you more about hermaphrodite animals: reproduction and examples in this post of Ecology Verde.

As you already know what cirrípedos, their characteristics and reproduction are, to close this article we will tell you two curiosities of these organisms, one old and a current one.

• Formerly (In the Modern Age) in Europe It was believed that barnaclas birds (Branta sp. They were the end of the percebs metamorphosis process: Thus, in times of Lent, where you could only eat fish and shellfish, people consumed these birds, as well as geese and ducks since they believed they were molluscs or crustaceans. In this way he “cheated” the Christian doctrine until 1200, when Pope Innocent III ended that custom.
• They currently cause many economic losses: They adhere to boat helmets, spring piles, sewers, pipes and marine platforms among other things, producing the deterioration of the structures. Not only demands cleaning and maintenance costs, but also the presence of cirrípedos in the helmets increases the friction of the ships when navigating and, consequently, increase the fuel consumption.

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