ИСТИНА

Sponge-inhabiting barnacles are classified in the subfamily Acastinae and are obligatory symbionts of poriferans, alcyonaceans and antipatharians. All acastin species have 6 shell plates and a pair of operculum valves. Previous studies on the diversity and distribution of sponge inhabiting barnacles in the West Pacific are fragmented and most of the records were from Japan. In Taiwan, we have conducted extensive SCUBA diving and collected more than 500 sponge barnacle samples from different locations. All specimens were fixed for both molecular (DNA barcoding) and morphological (the shell parts and arthopodal characters) analyses. The present study showed Taiwan has very high diversity of sponge barnacles, composing at least 35 species from 5 acastin genera (Acasta, Archiacasta, Euacasta, Neoacasta, Pectinoacasta) and 2 non-acastin genera (Armatobalanus, and Membranobalanus). At least 10 species are new to science. The diversity pattern of sponge barnacles in Taiwan is discussed.