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Stalked barnacles on an adult male sub-Antarctic fur seal at Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha

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Abstract

An adult male sub-Antarctic fur seal, Arctocephalus tropicalis, on Inaccessible Island in the Tristan da Cunha archipelago (TdC), was observed infested with goose barnacles, likely Lepas australis. Although adult females have been recorded to carry goose barnacles, this is the first record from an adult male at a breeding island. Males remain at sea throughout winter, so it is not clear why there are not more records of goose barnacles attached to their pelage.

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Fig. 1
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Acknowledgements

We thank Trevor Glass, the Island Council and Administrator for approving the visit to Inaccessible Island, and Maëlle Connan, Ben Dilley, George Swain, Julian Repetto and Leo Glass for assistance in the field. Ben Dilley also prepared Fig. 1. Otto Whitehead commented on the identity of the barnacles. The South African National Antarctic Programme provided berths on the SA Agulhas II and invaluable helicopter support. The Captain and crew of the Geo Searcher recovered the shore party safely from Inaccessible Island where James Glass kindly allowed the use of his small boat to ferry equipment off the beach.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa

    M. N. Bester

  2. DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa

    P. G. Ryan

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  1. M. N. Bester
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  2. P. G. Ryan
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Correspondence to M. N. Bester.

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Field procedures were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the UCT.

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Bester, M.N., Ryan, P.G. Stalked barnacles on an adult male sub-Antarctic fur seal at Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha. Polar Biol 42, 1943–1946 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-019-02560-x

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