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Sacculina
''Sacculina'' is a genus of barnacles that is a parasitic castrator of crabs. They belong to a group called Rhizocephala. The adults bear no resemblance to the barnacles that cover ships, whales, and piers; they are recognised as barnacles because their larval forms are like other members of the barnacle class Cirripedia. The prevalence of this crustacean parasite in its crab host can be as high as 50%. Habitat ''Sacculina'' live in a marine environment. During their larval stage they are pelagic, but as they form into adults they live as ectoparasites on crabs. Their primary host is the green crab, which is native to the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. Though these crabs have spread to other bodies of water, it is not believed that ''Sacculina'' barnacles have traveled with them to these new localities. Anatomy The body of the adult parasite can be divided into two parts: one part is called the "externa" where the bulbous reproductive organ of the parasite sticks out of the abdo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sacculina Angulata
''Sacculina'' is a genus of barnacles that is a parasitic castrator of crabs. They belong to a group called Rhizocephala. The adults bear no resemblance to the barnacles that cover ships, whales, and piers; they are recognised as barnacles because their larval forms are like other members of the barnacle class Cirripedia. The prevalence of this crustacean parasite in its crab host can be as high as 50%. Habitat ''Sacculina'' live in a marine environment. During their larval stage they are pelagic, but as they form into adults they live as ectoparasites on crabs. Their primary host is the green crab, which is native to the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. Though these crabs have spread to other bodies of water, it is not believed that ''Sacculina'' barnacles have traveled with them to these new localities. Anatomy The body of the adult parasite can be divided into two parts: one part is called the "externa" where the bulbous reproductive organ of the parasite sticks out of the abdomen o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sacculina Carcini
''Sacculina carcini'', the crab hacker barnacle, is a species of parasitic barnacle in the family Sacculinidae, in particular a parasitic castrator, of crabs. The crab that most often is used as a host is the green crab, the natural range of which is the coasts of Europe and North Africa. It can be found attached to the crab's abdomen and affects consumption rates by humans. Rhizocephala The Kentrogonida order contains the Sacculinidae family, known for their ability to induce parasitic sterilization in crabs. The genus ''Sacculina'' established by Thompson in 1836 contains 129 species. Among these, ''Sacculina carcini'' was the first and most studied barnacle parasite. Appearance Individual ''Sacculina carcini'' differ greatly between males and females. The female barnacles look like small slugs between entering the crab and infecting it. Once they have infected their host, they begin to develop and grow tendrils. This allows them to get the nutrients that it needs from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhizocephala
Rhizocephala are derived barnacles that are parasitic castrators. Their hosts are mostly decapod crustaceans, but include Peracarida, mantis shrimps and thoracican barnacles. Their habitats range from the deep ocean to freshwater. Together with their sister groups Thoracica and Acrothoracica, they make up the subclass Cirripedia. Their body plan is uniquely reduced in an extreme adaptation to their parasitic lifestyle, and makes their relationship to other barnacles unrecognisable in the adult form. They also exhibit the most extreme sexual dimorphism of all animals. The females inject themselves into a host and take over their bodies, while the males inject themselves into a settled female and cease being independent organisms through the degeneration of all tissues except the ones responsible for spermatogenesis. The name Rhizocephala derives from the Ancient Greek roots (, "root") and (, "head"), describing the adult female, which mostly consists of a network of threa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Green Crab
''Carcinus maenas'' is a common littoral crab. It is known by different names around the world. In the British Isles, it is generally referred to as the shore crab or green shore crab. In North America and South Africa, it bears the name European green crab. ''C. maenas'' is a widespread invasive species, listed among the 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species. It is native to the north-east Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea, but has colonised similar habitats in Australia, South Africa, South America, and both Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of North America. It grows to a carapace width of , and feeds on a variety of mollusks, worms, and small crustaceans, affecting a number of fisheries. Its successful dispersal has occurred by a variety of mechanisms, such as on ships' hulls, sea planes, packing materials, and bivalves moved for aquaculture. Description ''C. maenas'' has a carapace up to long and wide, but can be larger outside its native range, reaching ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
