Dear Colleagues: The following paper is now available at http://fishbull.noaa.gov/1064/1064toc.htm Kane EA, PA Olson, T Gerrodette, and PC Fiedler (2008). Prevalence of the commensal barnacle Xenobalanus globicipitis on cetacean species in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, and a review of global occurrence. Fishery Bulletin 106(4):395-404. ABSTRACT: Distribution and prevalence of the phoretic barnacle Xenobalanus on cetacean species are reported for 22 cetaceans in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (21 million km2). Four cetacean species are newly reported hosts for Xenobalanus: Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni), long-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), and spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris). Sightings of Xenobalanus in pelagic waters are reported for the first time, and concentrations were located within three productive zones: near the Baja California peninsula, the Costa Rica Dome and waters extending west along the 10°N Thermocline Ridge, and near Peru and the Galapagos Archipelago. Greatest prevalence was observed on blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) indicating that slow swim speeds are not necessary for effective barnacle settlement. Overall, prevalence and prevalence per sighting were generally lower than previously reported. The number of barnacles present on an individual whale was greatest for killer whales, indicating that Xenobalanus larvae may be patchily distributed. The broad geographic distribution and large number of cetacean hosts, indicate an extremely cosmopolitan distribution. A better understanding of the biology of Xenobalanus is needed before this species can be used as a biological tag. For more information, please contact me at ekane@tamu.edu Emily Kane Texas A&M University at Galveston 5007 Avenue U Galveston, TX 77551 Phone: (409) 741-4318 Fax: (409) 740-5002 http://www.marinebiology.edu/Marshall/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com