On the behaviour of barnacles: I. The relation of cirral and other activities to temperature

Abstract

In previous papers (Southward, 1950, 1951 Southward & Crisp, 1952, 1954 a, b: see also Kitching, 1950 Moore & Kitching, 1939) it has been shown that the geographical distribution of several common intertidal animals in Britain is related to the temperatures prevailing in the different regions. Species of generally southern distribution in Europe are commonest on, or restricted to, the south and west coasts of Britain, where temperatures are higher, while those species of essentially northern character are commoner in the north and east where the temperatures are lower. Where species of northern and southern distribution occur side by side in the same habitat, and are in competition, it seems important to know the range of temperatures over which processes such as feeding and respiration can be carried out, as well as the often narrower range of temperatures within which breeding can take place (cf. Orton, 1920). For example, the two common intertidal barnacles of the European coasts, Chthamalus stellatus (Poli) and Balanus balanoides (L.), occur side by side only in Britain and Northern France, where they reach the northern and southern limits respectively of their distributions. From the distributions it can be inferred that the vital activities of the two species are keyed to different temperature ranges. This implies that for each species there is an optimum range of temperature, above or below which the species becomes less efficient at feeding, respiring or reproducing. Where the two species occur side by side, there may be periods of the year when one of them is living outside its optimum range, and is at a disadvantage compared with the other species.