Abstract
Dozens of samples of stalked barnacles were collected from deep-sea seamounts of the tropical western Pacific by remotely operated vehicles during two expeditions in 2017 and 2018. Integrative taxonomy indicates that they represent two new species belonging to the families Scalpellidae and Poecilasmatidae, respectively. In terms of morphology, Arcoscalpellum angularum sp. nov. is distinguished from congeneric species by the angular processes on the dorsum of its soft body and the absence of a caudal appendage, whereas Glyptelasma robustum sp. nov. differs from its congeners in its robust peduncle, semicircular concaved carina, and long filamentary appendages. The validity of the two new species is supported by genetic analyses inferred from COI gene sequences and geographic distribution. To date, very few seamounts in the oceans have been investigated for scientific purposes, and little is known about the barnacles that inhabit these seamounts. A literature search reveals about 112 barnacle species recorded in seamounts mainly in the eastern and western regions of the Pacific Ocean. Existing data are insufficient for research on species speciation and diffusion; still more credible data on the distribution of barnacles in seamounts should be collected.
Highlights
Seamounts are widespread on the seafloors of oceans, in particular around oceanic ridges and submarine trenches
Arcoscalpellum specimens were collected from the roof deck of Weijia Guyot by the remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) Haima, and specimens of Glyptelasma were captured from the brae of the Huangyanxi seamount by the ROV Ropos (Figure 1)
The COI and 16S rRNA sequences of the holotypes of the two new species have been deposited in GenBank3
Summary
Seamounts are widespread on the seafloors of oceans, in particular around oceanic ridges and submarine trenches Their distinctive environmental conditions, such as their spatial features, hydrological characteristics, sedimentary characteristics, and so on, make seamounts unique habitats for the deep-sea marine benthos. Because they are influenced by the surrounding environment, seamount habitats are highly heterogeneous and breed various. New Species of Stalked Barnacle ecosystems (Kvile et al, 2014) On account of their distinct ecosystems, seamounts attract great curiosity and interest from scholars of oceanology, ecology, and biology exploring the biodiversity, origin, diffusion, and connectivity of seamount biocenoses (Wilson and Kaufmann, 1987; Rogers, 1994; Stocks, 2004; Shank, 2010; Miller and Gunasekera, 2017). Most records have focused on Cnidaria, Porifera, and Echinodermata; compared with these groups, the numbers of barnacle species distributed in seamounts are very low
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