Abstract
A new species of coral associated barnacle (Balanomorpha: Pyrgomatidae) sharing morphological features of Darwiniella (Anderson, 1992) and Galkinius Perreault, 2014 is described. It has a fused shell and opercular plates, characteristic of Darwiniella. However, the morphology of the tergum and somatic body are closer to Galkinius. Sequence divergence of mitochondrial DNA 12S rDNA and COI reveals this new species clusters with the Galkinius clade. Therefore this new form is assigned to the genus Galkinius, as G. maculosus sp. n. Concomitantly the diagnosis of Galkinius is emended to include species with fused or four- plated shells and fused opercular plates. The new species is distinct from all Galkinius species in having a fused shell. It inhabits the corals Lobophyllia spp. and is distributed from the Dongsha Atoll in the South China Sea, Orchid Island of Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean, to Madang in Papua New Guinea waters.
Highlights
Barnacles in genus Galkinius Perreault, 2014 are coral associated species of the family Pyrgomatidae
After barnacle specimens were removed from the host coral with forceps, they were examined under light microscopes (LM; Zeiss Scope A1) and scanning electron microscopes (SEM; FEI Quanta 200) to further describe their morphological characters, including hard parts and the somatic body
Based on the fused shell and opercular plates, Galkinius maculosus sp. n. can be placed under Darwiniella
Summary
Barnacles in genus Galkinius Perreault, 2014 are coral associated species of the family Pyrgomatidae. Ross and Newman (1973) revised the taxonomy of pyrgomatid barnacles and redefined Creusia as having a 4-plated shell but a fused scutum and tergum. Galkin (1986) established a new genus Utinomia Galkin, 1986 to accommodate Creusia species which had a broad adductor plate and a rostral tooth in the scutum. Perreault (2014) pointed out the generic name Galkinia Ross & Newman, 1995 was preoccupied by a genus of fossil fish, Galkinia Ghekker, 1948 (Actinopterygii: Pholidophoriformes). He renamed Galkinia as Galkinius Perreault, 2014, thereby continuing to recognize Galkin’s contribution to cirripede taxonomy
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