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The Barnacle Balanus improvisus as a Marine Model - Culturing and Gene Expression
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Diverse, continuous, and plastic sexual systems in barnacles.

Yoichi Yusa1, Mayuko Takemura, Kota Sawada

  • 1*Department of Biology, Nara Women's University, Nara 630-8506, Japan; Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan; Department of Biology, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.

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Barnacle sexual systems are diverse, ranging from hermaphroditism to separate males and females. Small group sizes drive the evolution of dwarf males and females, with some species showing flexible sex expression.

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Area of Science:

  • Marine Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Sexual Systems

Background:

  • Barnacles (Crustacea: Thoracica) exhibit a remarkable diversity of sexual systems, including simultaneous hermaphroditism, androdioecy, and dioecy.
  • The presence of dwarf males, significantly smaller than hermaphrodites or females, has long fascinated scientists since Darwin's observations.
  • Understanding these varied sexual strategies provides crucial insights into the evolution of reproductive diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive overview of the diversity of sexual systems in barnacles.
  • To explore the continuity and transitions between different sexual systems within barnacle genera and species.
  • To investigate the plasticity of sexual expression in several barnacle species.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing theoretical and empirical studies on barnacle sexual systems.
  • Analysis of the relationship between mating group size and the prevalence of dwarf males and females.
  • Examination of cases where the distinction between hermaphrodites and dwarf males, or hermaphrodites and females, is blurred.
  • Reporting results from a transplanting experiment on Octolasmis angulata to assess plasticity in sexual traits.

Main Results:

  • Most barnacles are hermaphroditic, but small mating groups favor the evolution of dwarf males and females due to reduced sperm competition and limited male opportunities.
  • In some species, dwarf males can develop into hermaphrodites, and the distinction between hermaphrodites and females can also be unclear, indicating a continuum of sexual systems.
  • Sex allocation and penis morphology show plasticity, as evidenced by an experiment where transplanted Octolasmis angulata developed larger penises.

Conclusions:

  • The diversity, continuity, and plasticity observed in barnacle sexual systems offer valuable insights into the evolutionary processes shaping reproductive strategies.
  • Environmental factors, such as mating group size, play a significant role in driving the evolution of sexual dimorphism and diverse sexual systems.
  • Barnacle sexual systems serve as a model for understanding the broader evolutionary dynamics of sexual reproduction and diversification.