Barnacles have been evolving and adapting to different niches for over 500 million years. By interpreting the anatomy, morphology and physiology within an evolutionary context, this book offers new insights into the biological adaptation and development of these organisms. "Barnacles" provides a comprehensive and current synthesis of a range of biological information retrieved from a range of species. Chapters explore what is known of the structural, functional and developmental biology of barnacles, and particular attention is paid to the diversity of barnacle feeding and reproductive adaptations, the physiological features that underpin this diversity, relationships between development, growth patterns and the long-term evolution of the group as seen in the fossil record.
Table of Contents:
Preface. Understanding barnacles morphology. Form, function and feeding. Muscles and circulation. Digestion, respiration and circulation. Digestion, respiration and excretion. Control functions and environmental interactions. Reproductive system, mating and oviposition. Gametes, fertilization and embryonic development. Larval development and metamorphosis. Growth. Modes of life: phylogeny. Appendix: A taxonomic synopsis of cirripedes. Index.
