Paralepas minuta

Paralepas minuta
	Several P. minuta attached to the spine of a sea urchin
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Crustacea
Class:	Maxillopoda
Infraclass:	Cirripedia
Order:	Lepadiformes
Family:	Heteralepadidae
Genus:	Paralepas
Species:	P. minuta
Binomial name
	Paralepas minuta; Philippi, 1836
Synonyms
	Alepas minuta Philippi, 1836; Heteralepas minuta (Philippi, 1836);

Paralepas minuta is a species of goose barnacle in the family Heteralepadidae.[1]

Description

P. minuta is a small stalked barnacle, its body reaching lengths of no more than 5 mm and widths of about 3.8 mm. The body is roughly globular and does not bear valves; it is slightly wrinkled and yellow in colour. The stalk (peduncle) is very short (about 1 mm) and heavily contracted. The base is usually divided into two finger-like projections that grip its anchoring substrate. It has repeatedly been found attached to the spines of deep-water sea urchins.[2]

Distribution

The species has a wide distribution and occurs in the Mediterranean and off West and South Africa, Japan, the Philippines, and Australia, at depths of 110–414 m.[2]

References

Southward, A. (2004). "Paralepas minuta (Philippi, 1836)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
Biccard, Aiden; Griffiths, Charles L. (2016). "Additions to the barnacle (Crustacea: Cirripedia) fauna of South Africa". African Zoology. 51 (2): 99–116.

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[worms-1] Southward, A. (2004). "Paralepas minuta (Philippi, 1836)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 6 May 2017.

[grif-2] Biccard, Aiden; Griffiths, Charles L. (2016). "Additions to the barnacle (Crustacea: Cirripedia) fauna of South Africa". African Zoology. 51 (2): 99–116.