Field-based video observations of wild barnacle cyprid behaviour in response to textural and chemical settlement cues

Abstract

Many marine invertebrate larvae respond behaviourally to environmental settlement cues, yet behaviours are often only inferred from settlement patterns or are limited to laboratory studies. The behaviour of wild cypris larvae of Semibalanus balanoides L. was filmed on settlement tiles in the field. Tiles were of five different textures with a nested treatment of crude conspecific adult extract (AE). The effects of texture and AE on eleven defined behaviours were analysed. Texture affected the gross and net exploratory distances, velocity, acceleration and time spent exploring. AE attracted more cyprids during the first minute of immersion and increased the time spent on surfaces. Relatively few arrivals that either travel far and fast, or exit the surface rapidly, may indicate a lower chance of settlement. An increase in time spent on a surface may increase the probability of being in contact with the surface when the sign stimulus to settle occurs.

Keywords:

• texture
• gregarious
• conspecific
• intertidal
• cyprid
• Semibalanus balanoides

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by a Natural Environment Research Council Industrial Collaborative Award for Science and Engineering, with International Paints. JCT was supported by the Royal Society. We thank the director and staff of Millport Marine Station for the use of their facilities.