Autor(es)

De Filippo, Teresa ; Siciliano, Salvatore ; Werneck, Max R. ; Colosio, Adriana C. ; Ott, Paulo H. ; Benitez, Hugo A. ; Missagia, Rafaela V. ; Iwasa-Arai, Tammy

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY; v. N/A, p. 16-pg., 2025-08-28.

Resumo

Coronula diadema is a barnacle that lives epibiotically on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) worldwide. It can settle on either male or female hosts and on different body parts of the whale, which may influence their exposure to drag. To test whether their shape and size varied accordingly, we separated barnacles from stranded whales by settlement site (genitals, ventral grooves, pectoral fins, and mandibles) and by host sex, and conducted geometric morphometric analyses. Barnacles located on the genitals were smaller and stockier, whereas those found on the anterior part of the whale (mandibles, pectoral fins, and ventral grooves) were larger and slender. This difference may be attributed to the turbulent water flow created after the cetaceans' pectoral fins: smaller and stockier barnacles are likely more resistant to turbulent water flow, while taller and more slender barnacles may persist in laminar flow regimes. Despite the behavioral differences observed throughout the year, with male whales exhibiting increased aggression during the mating season, no statistical differences were found in shape or size regarding the host sex datasets. These findings underscore the influence of both environmental factors, such as water flow dynamics, and biological factors, such as barnacle settlement and growth, on the shape of C. diadema, thereby illuminating the phenotypic changes in sedentary epibionts that enable them to thrive in unique ecosystems. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 22/13979-4 - A história evolutiva dos Piolhos-de-Baleia: de adaptações específicas à filogenia da família
• Beneficiário: Tammy Iwasa Arai
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado