Salinity tolerance of larvae ofBalanus balanoides(L.)

Abstract

The activity of the different larval stages of Balanus balanoides was estimated in the salinities of 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, and 32‰ at a temperature of 4.5 ± 1.5°C. The stage II–VI nauplii were motionless in 8‰ S and showed reduced activity in 12‰ S. In 16–32‰ S, nearly all the nauplii were swimming during the test period of 96 hours. The cypris larvae, however, showed reduced activity in ≦ 16‰ S. The cypris stage was therefore the larval stage of B. balanoides most susceptible to low salinities.