REPAIR AND REATTACHMENT IN THE BALANIDAE AS RELATED TO THEIR CEMENTING MECHANISM

Barnacles, which become partially or totally detached from their substratum in a natural environment, produce a secondary cement secretion. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that the secondary cement can successfully reattach the barnacle to a new substratum. Similar secondary secretion was found at the site of minor injuries to the barnacle basis. The secondary cement usually has a looser, more cavernous structure than the primary cement, but both secretions have similar staining characteristics. Microscope preparations indicate that occasionally barnacles are capable of developing new secondary cement ducts leading into the injured or detached areas to secrete secondary cement. In most cases, however, the existing primary cement duct network is used for the secondary secretion. This is possible only because most of the once used ducts are not plugged by hardened cement, in spite of the fact that the cement can harden inside the ducts. Chemical analysis suggests that the cement is an organic biopolymer and indications are that the cement hardening is initiated inside the organism. A unique flushing mechanism seems to be responsible for keeping the cement ducts open and ready for reuse. A nonhardening flushing fluid forces the still liquid cement out of the ducts. The cement hardens outside the duct openings sealing the flushing fluid inside the duct network. In case of detachment or injury. the cement seal breaks; the flushing fluid drains out leaving the duct open for the secondary cement secretion. The vesicles in conjunction with the main channel control the flow of the flushing fluid and the cement. The permeable wall of the main channel portion inside the vesicle reduces the convection and diffusion between the vesicle and the main channel, thus bypassing of vesicles and duct networks not affected by detachment is possible. The wall of the main channel inside the vesicle is also collapsible, thus acting as checkvalve when the vesicle is under pressure and allowing the cement to be pumped only into the ducts toward the secretory orifices.