A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia (Volume 1 of 2): The Lepadidae; Or, Pedunculated CirripedesDarwin, Charles
Science
A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia (Volume 1 of 2): The Lepadidae; Or, Pedunculated Cirripedes
Darwin, Charles
Cirripedia; Lepadidae
_General Appearance._--The capitulum varies considerably in length
compared to its breadth, caused chiefly by the greater or less
production of the occludent portion of the terga; valves thin, brittle;
the furrowed surface varies much in character, narrow and broad ridges
often alternating; frequently each ridge (but more especially the ridge
running from the umbo to the apex of each scutum, and sometimes that
alone,) is covered with prominent, curled, flat, calcareous spines,
giving the shell an appearance like that of many mollusca. Other
specimens show no trace of these calcified projections. From the
thinness of the valves and the depth of the furrows, the margins of the
valves are sinuous. _Scuta:_ the ridge running from the umbo to the apex
is unusually prominent and curved; it runs very close to the occludent
margin, so that, differently from in all the other species, only a very
narrow space is left between this margin and the ridge. Internal teeth,
under the umbones, either sharp and prominent, or mere knobs; sometimes
that on the right side is much larger than that on the left; sometimes
they are nearly equal; sometimes that on the left is scarcely
distinguishable. Internal basal rim absent, or barely developed.
_Terga:_ these valves have a conspicuous notch to receive the apex of
the scuta; the two occludent margins either meet each other at a
rectangle, or at a much smaller angle, causing the portion thus bounded
to vary much in outline, area, and degree of prominence. This at first
led me to think that the _P. spirulæ_ of Leach, in which the point is
very sharp and prominent, was a distinct species; but there are so many
intermediate forms, that the idea must be given up. I may remark, that
in all the species of Lepas, the upper part of the tergum seems
particularly variable. The degree of acumination of the basal portion of
the tergum also varies; the internal surface sometimes has small crests
radiating from the umbo.
_Carina_, broad, within deeply concave; edges sinuous, externally
sometimes strongly barbed; narrow above the fork, which latter is wider
than the widest upper part of the valve; prongs sharp, thin, diverging
at an angle of from 135° to 180°; the rim connecting the prongs not, or
only slightly, reflexed.
_Peduncle_, narrow, shorter than the capitulum.
_Filamentary Appendages_, none, or only one, short, obtuse projection on
each side, on the posterior face of the swelling under the first cirrus.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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