PORT PHILLIP BAY


Simple Volcano Barnacle 

Epopella simplex (Darwin, 1854)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

See below for information.

Source: Poore and Syme (2009) Barnacles, Museum Victoria.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Maxillopoda
Subclass:
Thecostraca
Superorder:
Thoracica
Order:
Sessilia
Suborder:
Balanomorpha
Superfamily:
Tetraclitoidea
Family:
Austrobalanidae
Subfamily:
Elminiinae
Genus:
Epopella
Species:
simplex

General Description

Four side plates, forming a wide conical shape. Colour varies from grey-white plates with pink tips in young animals, to pink in older animals. Opening pentagonal shape. Differs from Tesseropora rosea by preferring sheltered areas on the shore and having a more regular conical shape. Up to 1 cm high, 2 cm wide.

Biology

This species is not known to occur in estuaries or as a fouling species that might for example attach to boats or pier pylons.

Habitat

Exposed rocky shores in sheltered areas such as crevices or under rocks, near low tide level, to depth of 9 m.

Reefs

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Barnacles Acorn barnacles

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

2 cm

Diet

Plankton or Particles

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Identify

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Taylor, J.

Dr. Jo Taylor is the Sciences Collections Online Coordinator at Museum Victoria.

Author

article author Patullo, B.

Blair Patullo is Online Producer for marine projects at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Taylor, J. & Patullo, B., 2011, Simple Volcano Barnacle, Epopella simplex, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 09 Oct 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/10218

Text: creative commons cc by licence