Present Distribution Of Pedunculate Barnacle Of Wild Mud Crab Scylla Olivacea From Setiu Wetland, Terengganu Coastal Water, Malaysia

Abstract

Pedunculate, Goose or Stalked barnacles are commonly found in the hard substrate of marine or brackish area and it also recorded found attached on the living organisms as their host. Thirty seven wild mud crabs (Scylla olivacea) were sampled from Setiu Wetland (5°40’47.93”N, 102°42’45.04”E), Terengganu, Malaysia. The 625 sample of barnacles were collected and the samples were preserved in 70% alcohol and observed by using Table Top Scanning Electron Microscope (Hitachi TM1000). The morphology and characteristic of the barnacle were recorded based on the observation of their peduncle, capitulum, calcareous plates, carina, tergum and branched scutum. To our knowledge, there is no morphological study about the species of pedunculate barnacle that attached on gill of S. olivacea in Malaysia. Thus, this study provides the first report of pedunculate barnacle attached on S. olivacea in the east coast of peninsular Malaysia.