''Balanus'' is a genus of

barnacle Barnacles are arthropods of the subclass (taxonomy), subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacean, Crustacea. They are related to crabs and lobsters, with similar Nauplius (larva), nauplius larvae. Barnacles are exclusively marine invertebra ...

s in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Balanidae The Balanidae is a family of barnacle Barnacles are arthropods of the subclass (taxonomy), subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacean, Crustacea. They are related to crabs and lobsters, with similar Nauplius (larva), nauplius larvae. Ba ...

of the subphylum

Crustacea Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...

This genus is known in the fossil record from the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...

to the

Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...

periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells within this genus have been found all over the world.

Description

The bodies of these organisms are totally enclosed by a stony gray-whitish shell. The size of these shells ranges from 5 millimeters to 10 centimeters. They take the form of a cone consisting of six plates fixed on the rocks. The active animal can only be observed within the water when the shell opens and the barnacles expose two branched appendages ( cirri ) regularly hitting the water to catch food. They mainly feed on

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) but are unable to actively propel themselves against ocean current, currents (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are ca ...

Habitat

These barnacles can be found in coastal areas at low shallow depth, although they can also be seen living out of the water. They commonly colonize stones, rocks and shells. They are found in abundance on the shells of

mussels Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, whic ...

Species

Species within the genus ''Balanus'' include: *'' Balanus balanus'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologic ...

) *''

Balanus bloxhamensis ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Weisbord, 1966 *''

Balanus borsodensis ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Kolosváry, 1952 *''

Balanus calidus ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Pilsbry, 1916 *''

Balanus campbelli ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Filhol, 1886 *''

Balanus chisletianus ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Sowerby, 1859 *''

Balanus citerosum ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Henry, 1973 *''

Balanus connelli ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Cornwall, 1927 *'' Balanus crenatus'' Bruguière, 1789 *''

Balanus curvirostratus ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Menesini, 1968 *''

Balanus darwinii ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Seguenza, 1876 *''

Balanus ecuadoricus ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Pilsbry & Olson, 1951 *''

Balanus flosculoidus ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Kolosváry, 1941 *''

Balanus gizellae ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Kolosváry, 1967 *''

Balanus glandula ''Balanus glandula'' (commonly known as the North American acorn barnacle or common acorn barnacle) is one of the most common barnacle species on the Pacific coast of North America, distributed from the U.S. state of Alaska to Bahía de San Quin ...

'' Darwin, 1854 (Common Acorn Barnacle) *'' Balanus hohmanni'' Philippi, 1887 *†'' Balanus humilis'' Conrad, 1846 (extinct) *†'' Balanus imitator'' Zullo, 1984 (extinct) *'' Balanus irradians'' Zullo & Guruswami-Naidu, 1982 *'' Balanus irregularis'' Broch, 1931 *'' Balanus kanakoffi'' Zullo, 1969 *'' Balanus kondakovi'' Tarasov & Zevina, 1957 *'' Balanus laevis'' Bruguière, 1789 *'' Balanus laguairensis'' Weisbord, 1966 *'' Balanus leonensis'' Weisbord, 1966 *'' Balanus microstomus'' Philippi, 1887 *'' Balanus minutus'' Hoek, 1913 *'' Balanus mirabilis'' Krüger, 1912 *'' Balanus newburnensis'' Weisbord, 1966 *'' Balanus nubilus'' Darwin, 1854 (Giant acorn barnacle) *'' Balanus ochlockoneensis'' Weisbord, 1966 *'' Balanus pannonicus'' Kolosváry, 1952 *'' Balanus parkeri'' Zullo, 1967 *''Balanus perforatus'' Bruguière, 1789: synonym of '' Perforatus perforatus'' (Bruguière, 1789) *'' Balanus poecilus'' Darwin, 1854 *'' Balanus polyporus'' Pilbry, 1924 *'' Balanus provisoricus'' Kolosváry, 1961 *'' Balanus pulchellus'' Ren, 1989 *'' Balanus rhizophorae'' Ren & Liu, 1978 *'' Balanus rostratus'' Hoek, 1883 (Minefujitsubo)Scientific Name ／ Balanus rostratus Hoek,1883
/ref> (Japanese acorn barnacle) *'' Balanus sauntonensis'' Parfitt, 1871 *'' Balanus similis'' Weltner, 1922 *'' Balanus spongicola'' Brown, 1844 *'' Balanus subalbidus'' Henry, 1974 *'' Balanus tamiamiensis'' Ross, 1964 *'' Balanus trigonus'' Darwin, 1854 *'' Balanus tuboperforatus'' Kolosváry, 1962 *'' Balanus tumorifer'' Kolosváry, 1962 *'' Balanus uliginosis'' Henry, 1973 *'' Balanus vadaszi'' Kolosváry, 1949 *'' Balanus veneticensis'' Seguenza, 1876 *'' Balanus withersi'' Pilsbry, 1930 The species '' Balanus balanoides'' (common barnacle, common rock barnacle, northern rock barnacle) has been reclassified as ''

Semibalanus balanoides ''Semibalanus balanoides'' (common barnacle, common rock barnacle, or northern rock barnacle) is a common and widespread boreo-arctic species of acorn barnacle. It is common on rocks and other substrates in the intertidal zone of north-western ...

'' in the family

Archaeobalanidae The Balanidae is a family of barnacle Barnacles are arthropods of the subclass (taxonomy), subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacean, Crustacea. They are related to crabs and lobsters, with similar Nauplius (larva), nauplius larvae. Ba ...

, due to its

membranous A membrane is a selective barrier; it allows some things to pass through but stops others. Such things may be molecules, ions, or other small particles. Membranes can be generally classified into synthetic membranes and biological membranes. B ...

base.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Barnacles Pliensbachian first appearances Extant Early Jurassic first appearances Taxa named by Emanuel Mendes da Costa