Austromegabalanus psittacus

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Austromegabalanus psittacus
2 specimens of A. psittacus behind sea urchins (Loxechinus albus)

2 specimens of A. psittacus behind sea urchins ( Loxechinus albus )

Systematics
Class : Maxillopoda
Subclass : Barnacles (Cirripedia)
Order : Sessilia
Family : Barnacles (Balanidae)
Genre : Austromegabalanus
Type : Austromegabalanus psittacus
Scientific name
Austromegabalanus psittacus
Molina , 1782

Austromegabalanus psittacus is a species from the subclass of barnacles , which occurs on the coasts of Chile and southern Peru . In these areas the animal bears the common Spanish name Picoroco . The inhabited biotopes lie in the littoral in the tidal area of ​​rocky banks. The adult size is about 30 centimeters, the animal has ashell mineralizedwith calcite .

description

Austromegabalanus psittacus is a large sessile barnacle that lives in groups on hard substrates. It carries a large, conical bowl made of twelve individual plates, which consist of calcite microcrystals in a protein matrix. The animal attaches itself firmly to the substrate with its footplate; the adult size is usually about 30 centimeters. As is usual with barnacles, there is an opening on the top that can be closed by an operculum, from which the thoracic legs, referred to as cirri by the Cirripedia , protrude. The body has muted colors with purple and brown markings.

biology

Austromegabalanus psittacus shows simultaneous hermaphroditism . Individual individuals are supplied with seminal fluid through a thin tube pushed over by conspecifics sitting next to them. The eggs are incubated within the shell for about 3 to 4 weeks until they hatch. The hatched nauplius larvae then swim freely for about 45 days and are part of the plankton . During this time they go through a total of six larval stages, the last one is called the Cypris larva . These (cyprid) larvae are about 1 millimeter long and settle on the sea floor, usually near other barnacles. Often this neighborhood is so close that veritable mounds are formed while the crabs grow. If this happens, the chalky feet of the animals transform into a much more porous, cylindrical structure, which is crowned by the hard shells. The individuals growing inside are about twice as high as those on the outer edge. The population density in such clusters can be over 1000 individuals per square meter; With this ability to form massed populations, the species has competitive advantages in terms of biotope settlement and use of space over other barnacles.

habitat

The species is found along the coasts of Chile and Peru in the littoral and rocky tidal flats. The largest populations are known from the Los Lagos region (Chile) ; For human consumption, stocks are mainly fished in / off Calbuco , Carelmapu and Puerto Montt .

Uses

This barnacle is part of traditional Chilean cuisine. Its meat is in great demand and one of the ingredients in the Chilean dish curanto , which is made from different seafood. Traditionally this is done in a large pot heated with hot stones, modern cooking methods use conventionally heated vessels.

Overfishing has reduced the stocks of Austromegabalanus psittacus available for abstraction . The population decline is to be counteracted with an aquaculture on Chile's coasts, and an introduction of the species to Japan is being considered.

Web links

Commons : Austromegabalanus psittacus  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Robert W. Simpfendörfer, Karin B. Oelckers, David Nash, Daniel A. López: Kinetic properties of the muscular pyruvate kinase from the giant marine barnacle, Austromegabalanus psittacus (Molina, 1782) (Cirripedia, Balanomorpha) . In: Crustaceana . 78, No. 10, 2005, pp. 1203-1218. doi : 10.1163 / 156854005775903573 .
  2. ↑ Alejandro B. Rodríguez-Navarro, Christiane CabraldeMelo, Nelson Batista, Nilton Morimoto, Pedro Alvarez-Lloret, Miguel Ortega-Huertas, Victor M. Fuenzalida, Jose I. Arias, Juan P. Wiff, Jose L. Arias: Microstructure and crystallographic - Texture of giant barnacle ( Austromegabalanus psittacus ) shell . In: Journal of Structural Biology . 156, No. 2, 2006, pp. 355-362. doi : 10.1016 / j.jsb.2006.04.009 . PMID 16962792 .
  3. ↑ Rodrıguez-Navarro, Alejandro B., CabraldeMelo, Christiane; Batista, Nelson; Morimoto, Nilton; Alvarez-Lloret, Pedro; Ortega-Huertas, Miguel; Fuenzalida, Victor M .; Arias, Jose I .; Wiff, Juan P .; Arias, Jose L .: Microstructure and crystallographic-texture of giant barnacle ( Austromegabalanus psittacus ) shell . In: Journal of Structural Biology . 156, No. 2, 2006, pp. 355-362. doi : 10.1016 / j.jsb.2006.04.009 . PMID 16962792 .
  4. ^ López, Daniel A., López, Boris A .; Burgos, Ignacia C .; Arriagada, Sergio E .; González, María L .: Consequences of base modification in hummocks of the barnacle Austromegabalanus psittacus . In: New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research . 41, No. 3, 2007, pp. 291-298. doi : 10.1080 / 00288330709509916 .
  5. ↑ a b López, Daniel A., López, Boris A .; Arriagada, Sergio E .; González, María L .; Mora, Oscar A .; Bedecarratz, Paula C .; Pineda, Mauricio O .; Andrade, Lorenzo I .; Uribe, José M .; Riquelme, Verónica A .: Diversification of Chilean aquaculture: the case of the giant barnacle Austromegabalanus psittacus (Molina, 1782) Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. In: Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research . 40, No. 3, 2012, pp. 596-607. doi : 10.3856 / vol40-issue3-fulltext-9 . Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  6. ↑ El picoroco! ( Spanish ) In: La Barca restaurant . Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  7. ↑ The curanto . ThinkQuest. Archived from the original on June 24, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2013.