Influence of size upon shell shape and various other aspects of the body plan of the genus Balanus was investigated using linear and volumetric measurements collected from 232 adult individuals of 14 species representing variation in size, shell form and shell design thought to occur in the genus. Statistical techniques applied included Least-Squares regression, multiple step-wise regression, principal components analysis (PCA), analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). / Four of 15 morphometric variables examined are satisfactory estimators of individual size (total weight): valve weight, soma weight, total shell volume and basal length; the last two being generally preferred. / While shell form among species is superficially similar, no two species are, in fact, identical; neither do they scale alike. Intraspecific variation for five ratio variables shows strong allometry over the adult size range of each species. As size increases, there is a trend for the basis and orifice to maintain their shapes or to become slghtly more elliptical and for shells to become more conical and relatively taller. / Throughout their size ranges, species can be described by these geometries: paraboloid (6 species), frustum of an ellipsoidal cone (5 species), frustum of a cone (2 species) and a cone (1 species). Shell geometry is not a function of size. However, there does appear to be a correlation between shell geometry and shell volume. Species with relatively small shell volumes are described by a frustum of an ellipsoidal cone or a cone while those with a relatively large shell volume are described by a paraboloid or the frustum of a cone. / Scaling of shell and tissue components was investigated. The dry shell represents 71% of the total wet weight in small individuals to 85% in large individuals. The soma scales against size more as area than volume, possibly owing to area-dependent functions such as food capture and respiration. Mantle cavity volume is inversely related to brood size and can be correlated with differences in metabolic rates for cold water versus warm water species. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-04, Section: B, page: 1131. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75325 |
| Contributors | SPIVEY, HENRY R., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 195 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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