CIRRIPEDIA: THE BARNACLES OF THE GULF OF MEXICO 



By Dora Priaulx Henry, Oceanographic Laboratories, University of Washington 



The following resume of what is known about 

 the barnacles of the Gulf of Mexico is based on 

 (a) published accounts, the most important of 

 which are the taxonomic studies of Pilsbry (1907, 

 1916) and the ecological studies of Stephenson and 

 Stephenson (1950), and (b) unpublished data.' 

 Pilsbr3''s material consisted of Albatross hauls and 

 isolated shore collections, mainly from the western 

 shores of Florida. Stephenson and Stephenson 

 (1950) studied the Florida Keys area, and several 

 authors have reported barnacles from several 

 localities in the southern part of the Gulf. The 

 impublished data are based, primarily, on isolated 

 shore collections in which the barnacles of Texas 

 are especially well represented. 



Until there is fm-ther study of the barnacles of 

 this region, it is possible to draw no more than 

 tentative conclusions concerning their horizontal 



I The author is indebted to Dr. Joel Hedgpeth for the opportunity of 

 examining his barnacle collection, as well as that of the Texas Fish and 

 Game Commission, and to Dr. Fenner A. Chace for the chance to study 

 some of the Gulf barnacles acquired by the U. S. National Museum since 

 Pilsbry's monographs were published. 



and vertical distribution, the ecology, and the 

 relationship to the fauna of adjacent areas. 



The barnacles of the Gulf may be divided ac- 

 cording to habitat into the littoral, the pelagic, 

 and the deep water. Barnacles are probably not 

 an important part of the intertidal fauna on most 

 of the Gulf coast as rocky shores are very scarce, 

 except in southern Florida. WTiarfs, piles, and 

 sea walls provide, however, a suitable substratum 

 for several species. These barnacles, as well as 

 some that are found in off-shore waters, also foul 

 ships' bottoms in other parts of their range, and 

 some, at least, may have been introduced into the 

 Gulf in this way. Conditions in the Gulf appear 

 to be much more favorable for the growth of 

 pelagic and deep water barnacles. 



A check list of the barnacles known to occur in 

 this region follows (tables 1 and 2). For the sake 

 of brevity, the region has been divided arbitrarily 

 into six coastal areas, i.e., the Dry Tortugas, Florida 

 Keys, west Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and 

 Texas, and the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico. 



' Author's unpublished records are indicated by her name not followed by year. 



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