Influence of bacterial exopolymers, conspecific adult extract and salinity on the cyprid metamorphosis of Balanus amphitrite Cirripedia: Thoracica

Abstract

The influence of bacterial exopolymers and conspecific adult extract of Balanus amphitrite on metamorphosis of cyprid larvae at different salinities has been evaluated through laboratory assay. The bacterial exopolymers epm extracted from Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter and Enterobacteriaceae strains, isolated from the shell surface of Balanus amphitrite, were examined for their influence on metamorphosis, both individually and in combination with conspecific adult extract at 15, 25, 35 and 45% salinities. The epm extracted from the pool of these three strains mixed culture was also tested similarly. The influence of epm varied with the strain of bacteria and salinity. The surface condition and time interval significantly influenced the metamorphosis rate. The interaction between these two variables, however, did not change in any combination, irrespective of the bacterial strain used. The Pseudomonas epm promoted metamorphosis at 15%, but was inhibitory at 45%. The Acinetobacter epm induced metamorphosis to a level of 71 ± 15% at 15%. No such metamorphosis promotion was observed with the epm of this strain at higher salinities and the influence was less than the conspecific adult extract. The epm of Enterobacteriaceae and mixed culture epm did not promote metamorphosis. There was no appreciable change in the metamorphic rate in the control conditions at 25%, 35% and 45% salinities and the rate was much lower than that obtained with conspecific adult extract. At 15%, however, the influence of adult extract was closer to that of the control condition. This shows that even in the absence of any attractant, the settlement intensity is positively influenced at mid-salinity of the barnacles' natural distributional range.