Barnacles classification of sea turtles in baja California Sur (México)

Abstract

The assemblage study of epibiont fauna and flora on sea turtles, specially, ciripeds recruitment, is yet not studied enought. This work proposes to identify and determine the anatomical distribution, incidence and frequency of presentation of the different species of cirripeds in Chelonia mydas and Caretta caretta sea turtles in the Peninsula of Southern California, Mexico. During 2017, seven field trips were carried out in the Ojo de Liebre and Guerrero Negro lagoons and in the Gulf of Ulloa. In these monitoring a total of 127 sea turtles were captured, 117 C. mydas, 9 C. caretta and 1 L. olivacea (without cirripeds). A total of 1,064 cirripeds were collected from the captured sea turtles. The collected cirripeds were identified into six different species: Chelonibia testudinaria, Platylepas hexastylos, Stephanolepas muricata, Stephanolepas praegustator, Lepas anatifera and Balanus trigonus. Then, the incidence and anatomical frequency of presentation of the six species of studied barnacles was done. Thus, the anatomical distribution, incidence and frequency baseline of cirripeds presentation on three important feeding areas for C. mydas and C. caretta sea turtles was generated. This baseline information will help future national and international studies, using it as a reference.