PORT PHILLIP BAY


Giant Black Barnacle 

Austromegabalanus nigrescens (Lamarck, 1818)

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:
Balanoidea
Family:
Balanidae
Subfamily:
Megabalaninae
Genus:
Austromegabalanus
Species:
nigrescens

General Description

Six green to white side plates, often eroded or encrusted with algae growth. Inner surface of plates blue. Up to 6 cm high, 3 cm wide.

Biology

This is the largest acorn barnacle species in Australia. They usually attach to rocks, but sometimes live on abalone, chitons and the hulls of ships.

Habitat

Exposed rocky shore, near low tide level, to depth of 9 m.

Reefs

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

New Zealand and 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

6 cm

Diet

Plankton or Particles

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in 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, Giant Black Barnacle, Austromegabalanus nigrescens, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 04 Nov 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/7786

Text: creative commons cc by licence