SOUTH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY HERITAGE HOUSE
ARROYO GRANDE, CA
![A young girl inspects sea foam Sea foam, ocean foam, beach foam, or spume is a type of foam created by the agitation of seawater, particularly when it contains higher concentrations of dissolved organic matter (including proteins, lignins, and lipids) derived from sources such as the offshore breakdown of algal blooms.[1] These compounds can act as surfactants or foaming agents. As the seawater is churned by breaking waves in the surf zone adjacent to the shore, the surfactants under these turbulent conditions trap air, forming persistent bubbles that stick to each other through surface tension.
Sea foam washed up or blown onto a beach
Sea foam is a global phenomenon,[1] and it varies depending on location and the potential influence of the surrounding marine, freshwater, and/or terrestrial environments.[2] Due to its low density and persistence, foam can be blown by strong on-shore winds inland, towards the beach. Human activities, such as production, transport or spillage of petroleum products or detergents, can also contribute to the formation of sea foam. Wikipedia](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53541347583_1d02a2cf28.jpg)
The South County Historical Society Heritage House is a historical landmark located in Arroyo Grande, California. The house was built in 1890 and originally served as a residence for the Waddell family. It was later purchased by the South County Historical Society and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house today is a museum, showcasing the history of Arroyo Grande and the surrounding area.
The house sits on a hill overlooking Arroyo Grande, giving visitors a spectacular view of the city and the surrounding hills. Inside, visitors can explore the many artifacts on display, including furniture, photographs, documents, and other items of historical interest. The house also features a library, which houses books and other materials related to the history of the area.
The Heritage House also serves as a venue for events, such as lectures and music events. The house can also be rented for private events, such as weddings and other special occasions.
The South County Historical Society Heritage House is a great place to learn about the history of the area and explore its diverse culture. The house and its grounds have been carefully preserved, providing visitors with a glimpse into life in the 1800s. Visitors can explore the house and its grounds on their own or take a guided tour.
SOUTH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY HERITAGE HOUSE is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in ARROYO GRANDE CA. US MID #8400600072
The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Western (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington).
![A young girl inspects sea foam Sea foam, ocean foam, beach foam, or spume is a type of foam created by the agitation of seawater, particularly when it contains higher concentrations of dissolved organic matter (including proteins, lignins, and lipids) derived from sources such as the offshore breakdown of algal blooms.[1] These compounds can act as surfactants or foaming agents. As the seawater is churned by breaking waves in the surf zone adjacent to the shore, the surfactants under these turbulent conditions trap air, forming persistent bubbles that stick to each other through surface tension.
Sea foam washed up or blown onto a beach
Sea foam is a global phenomenon,[1] and it varies depending on location and the potential influence of the surrounding marine, freshwater, and/or terrestrial environments.[2] Due to its low density and persistence, foam can be blown by strong on-shore winds inland, towards the beach. Human activities, such as production, transport or spillage of petroleum products or detergents, can also contribute to the formation of sea foam. Wikipedia](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53541347583_1d02a2cf28_b.jpg)
![Pismo Pier from the Cliffs at Shell Beach Pismo Beach (Chumash: Pismuʔ) is a city in the southern portion of San Luis Obispo County, in the Central Coast area of California, United States.[10] Its estimated population was 8,072 at the 2020 census, up from 7,655 in the 2010 census. It is part of the Five Cities area, a cluster of cities in that area. The Five Cities area historically is made up of Arroyo Grande, Grover City (now Grover Beach), Halcyon, Fair Oaks, and Nipomo. Now most people refer to the Five Cities as Grover Beach, Pismo Beach, Shell Beach (which is actually a part of Pismo Beach), Arroyo Grande, and Oceano (which is unincorporated county land serviced by the Oceano Community Services District).
History
Pismo Pier at sunset
The old Oilport Refinery, demolished after WWII, is now the Sunset Palisades neighborhood.
The Chumash people are the historic inhabitants of the region, with indigenous peoples having lived along the California coast for at least 11,000 years.[11] The name Pismo comes from the Chumash language word for tar, pismuʔ,[2] which was gathered from tar springs in Price Canyon near Pismo Beach. The tar was a valuable product, which the Chumash used to caulk their seagoing canoes, called tomol, which traveled along the coast and out to the Channel Islands. The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portolá expedition, passed through the area, traveling up Price Canyon from Pismo Beach, where they camped on September 4, 1769. Franciscan missionary and expedition member Juan Crespí noted in his diary that they found a Chumash village near the creek.[12][13]
Pismo Beach is located on the Rancho Pismo Mexican land grant made to José Ortega, grandson of José Francisco Ortega, in 1840. In 1846, José Ortega sold Rancho Pismo to Isaac Sparks. John Michael Price bought most of the rancho from Sparks. Price established the town of Pismo Beach in 1891. His homestead is now Price Historical Park.[14] His home is a registered historical landmark. Pismo is known as the clam capital of the world.[citation needed] Nearly over 2.5 million people visit Pismo Beach.
The first wharf at Pismo was built in 1882, followed by a full-length pier built in 1924 that was financed and constructed by William Woodrow Ward, who allowed full use of it by the public. After it suffered considerable storm damage, the pier was renovated again in 1985. Pismo State Beach is named for the city of Pismo Beach.
The neighborhoods of Shell Beach and Sunset Palisades were the site of a Chumash village, and significant archeological sites are located in both areas. Shell Beach became agricultural land, mostly pea fields. Developer Floyd Calvert bought and developed the area in 1926. At first, it was a local resort area; after World War II, it became primarily residential. Sunset Palisades, originally called Oilport, was the site of an oil refinery from 1907 until after World War II; it is now residential.[15]
Clams
The Pismo clam was named for the long, wide beach where so many were once found, once in such abundance that they were harvested with plows. Clamming once drew thousands of clammers to Pismo during low tides, and is still legal, but due to overharvesting by humans and the protected sea otter (which feasts on clams), few clams are now to be found.[16]
Pismo Beach adopted the name "Clam Capital of the World" in the 1950s, though this motto is no longer used. The city still holds the Clam Festival every October, complete with clam chowder competitions and a clam-themed parade.[17]
At the southern end of Price Street upon first entering Pismo Beach is a gigantic concrete clam statue. The eight-inch (20 cm) shell of a Pismo clam (Tivela stultorum) is on display at the Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Geography
External videos
video icon Panoramic Video of Pismo Beach on YouTube
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.5 square miles (35 km2), of which 9.9 square miles (26 km2) (73.29%) is covered by water.
Pismo Creek enters the Pacific Ocean at Pismo Beach.[18] The southern end of Pismo Beach runs alongside sand dunes, which are followed by eucalyptus trees that attract thousands of migrating monarch butterflies every November through February.[10]
Meadow Creek is a short creek that runs through the Pismo Lake Ecological Reserve and hosts a variety of wildlife despite its urban surroundings, including beaver (Castor canadensis).[19][20][21][22]
Climate
Pismo Beach has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb). Despite the subtropical latitude (the same as Cape Hatteras, North Carolina,) summers are quite cool and the change in seasonal temperatures is quite small. The hardiness zone is 9b/10a, which is a full zone higher than Cape Hatteras.
Climate data for Pismo Beach, California (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1949–2017)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)85
(29)90
(32)90
(32)101
(38)100
(38)99
(37)102
(39)102
(39)103
(39)99
(37)91
(33)92
(33)102
(39)
Mean maximum °F (°C)76.0
(24.4)78.6
(25.9)80.2
(26.8)85.4
(29.7)83.2
(28.4)84.5
(29.2)83.0
(28.3)81.3
(27.4)86.9
(30.5)86.9
(30.5)82.2
(27.9)75.3
(24.1)94.1
(34.5)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)64.8
(18.2)65.1
(18.4)67.5
(19.7)69.7
(20.9)72.3
(22.4)70.5
(21.4)70.3
(21.3)71.4
(21.9)71.9
(22.2)72.5
(22.5)69.0
(20.6)65.0
(18.3)69.2
(20.7)
Daily mean °F (°C)54.5
(12.5)54.5
(12.5)56.9
(13.8)59.0
(15.0)60.9
(16.1)61.0
(16.1)62.1
(16.7)63.1
(17.3)62.7
(17.1)62.5
(16.9)57.7
(14.3)54.3
(12.4)59.1
(15.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)44.2
(6.8)44.0
(6.7)46.2
(7.9)48.2
(9.0)49.5
(9.7)51.4
(10.8)53.9
(12.2)54.8
(12.7)53.6
(12.0)52.6
(11.4)46.4
(8.0)43.7
(6.5)49.0
(9.4)
Mean minimum °F (°C)34.6
(1.4)36.2
(2.3)37.0
(2.8)38.9
(3.8)41.5
(5.3)44.3
(6.8)47.9
(8.8)48.8
(9.3)46.4
(8.0)42.7
(5.9)38.3
(3.5)34.1
(1.2)31.9
(−0.1)
Record low °F (°C)24
(−4)28
(−2)23
(−5)27
(−3)30
(−1)37
(3)38
(3)39
(4)30
(−1)32
(0)29
(−2)21
(−6)21
(−6)
Average precipitation inches (mm)3.48
(88)4.00
(102)2.98
(76)1.00
(25)0.46
(12)0.15
(3.8)0.02
(0.51)0.02
(0.51)0.08
(2.0)0.79
(20)1.81
(46)3.08
(78)17.87
(454)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)8.28.57.94.21.80.80.30.51.53.35.17.149.2
Source: NOAA (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010)[23][24]
Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19501,425—
19601,76223.6%
19704,043129.5%
19805,36432.7%
19907,66943.0%
20008,55111.5%
20107,655−10.5%
20208,0725.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[25]
2010
The 2010 United States census[26] reported that Pismo Beach had a population of 7,655. The population density was 568.0 inhabitants per square mile (219.3/km2). The racial makeup of Pismo Beach was 91.1% White, 0.7% African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.2% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. About 9.3% were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
The census reported that 7,642 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 13 (0.2%) lived in noninstitutionalized group quarters, and none were institutionalized.
Of the 3,834 households, 16.1% had children under 18 living in them, 44.6% were opposite-sex married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, 6.1% were unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 1.0% were same-sex married couples or partnerships. In all, 35.8% of the households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 1.99. Of the 2,079 families (54.2% of all households), the average family size was 2.55.
The age distribution was 13.3% under 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 34.5% from 45 to 64, and 26.0% were 65 or older. The median age was 51.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The 5,585 housing units had an average density of 414.4/sq mi (160.0/km2), of which 60.9% were owner-occupied, and 39.1% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.6%; 60.8% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 39.0% lived in rental housing units.
2000
Pismo Creek estuary
As of the census[27] of 2000, 8,551 people, 4,230 households, and 2,322 families were residing in the city. The population density was 2,366.0-inhabitant-per-square-mile (913.5/km2). The 5,496 housing units had an average density of 1,520.7-per-square-mile (587.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.35% White, 0.60% African American, 0.71% Native American, 2.92% Asian, 1.71% from other races, and 2.71% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.89% of the population.
Of the 4,230 households, 17.4% had children under 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.1% were not families; 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.02, and the average family size was 2.58.
In the city, the age distribution was 15.3% under 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,396, and for a family was $61,036. Males had a median income of $48,606 versus $30,189 for females. The per capita income made for the city was $30,835. About 6.3% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
The population had a wave of expansion starting in the 1980s, after completion of wastewater-treatment facilities expansion; this lack of infrastructure had previously limited population growth.
Economy
Top employers
According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[28] the top employers in the city are:
#Employer# of employees
1The Cliffs of Shell Beach230
2Keller-Williams179
3Dolphin Bay Resort124
4City of Pismo Beach120
5Martin Resorts100
6United States Postal Service85
7Sea Venture74
8Pismo Coast Village65
9Seacrest65
10Brad's Restaurant60
Government
Incorporated on April 25, 1946,[1] Pismo Beach is a general-law city governed by a five-member council. The city council consists of a mayor (who serves a two-year term) and four councilmembers (who serve four-year terms). All five are elected at-large.[3]
In the California State Legislature, Pismo Beach is in the 17th Senate District, represented by Democrat John Laird, and in the 30th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Dawn Addis.[29]
In the United States House of Representatives, Pismo Beach is in California's 24th congressional district, represented by Democrat Salud Carbajal.[30]
Education
Shell Beach Elementary School
Shell Beach Elementary School
Judkins Middle School
Infrastructure
Water is provided by a wells in the Santa Maria Groundwater Basin, Lopez Lake, and the State Water Project.[31][32]
In popular culture
The city is mentioned in the films Clueless (a reference is made to a fictitious "Pismo Beach disaster") and A Night at the Roxbury, the TV show United States of Tara, and the animated series Futurama (episode "Raging Bender"), Robot Chicken (episode "Rodiggity"), and The Critic (episode "Lady Hawke").[33]
The W. C. Fields comedy The Bank Dick (1940), set in Lompoc, includes a character listed in the film's credits as "A. Pismo Clam".
In the 1957 Merrie Melodies short Ali Baba Bunny, Bugs Bunny and his traveling companion Daffy Duck emerge from a tunnel, with Bugs believing they have arrived at Pismo Beach "and all the clams we can eat".[34]
In the TV movie Dragnet 1966 (1969), Bill Gannon (Harry Morgan) takes disability retirement and moves to Pismo Beach. After eight months and three weeks of eating Pismo Beach clam chowder, Bill's health returns, his teeth stop falling out, and he is able to be reinstated with the LAPD. Explaining to Joe Friday (Jack Webb) the reason for his restored health, he states, "The clams, Joe. The clams."
In "Guess Who's Knott Coming to Dinner", the fifth episode of the first season of The New Scooby-Doo Movies (aired October 7, 1972), when the mystery gang makes an unsuccessful escape from Captain Moody's mansion, Shaggy says they must have made a wrong turn at Pismo Beach.
In The Monkees TV series episode "The Wild Monkees" (aired November 13, 1967), Pismo Beach is mentioned a few times. Mike Nesmith states, "You remember the Massacre at Pismo Beach?" when told that the Black Angels motorcycle gang will be staying at the hotel where they are working. The rest of the group replies "Pismo Beach?"
In the I Love Lucy TV series episode "Lucy Gets in Pictures" (aired February 21, 1955), Lucy (Lucille Ball) mentions Pismo Beach as one of the locations that her best friend, Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance), and she want to visit.
Pismo Beach is mentioned in the Coen Brothers' film The Big Lebowski (1998). This shout-out inspired the title of the Labradford song "Up to Pizmo", from the band's 2001 album Fixed::Context. Wikipedia](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53415270444_6c197cac3b_b.jpg)
![Sand Dollar and Barnacle Sand dollars (also known as sea cookies or snapper biscuits in New Zealand and Brazil, or pansy shells in South Africa) are species of flat, burrowing sea urchins belonging to the order Clypeasteroida. Some species within the order, not quite as flat, are known as sea biscuits. Sand dollars can also be called "sand cakes" or "cake urchins".[2]
Names
The term "sand dollar" derives from the appearance of the tests (skeletons) of dead individuals after being washed ashore. The test lacks its velvet-like skin of spines and has often been bleached white by sunlight. To beachcombers of the past, this suggested a large, silver coin, such as the old Spanish dollar, which had a diameter of 38–40 mm.
Other names for the sand dollar include sand cakes, pansy shells, snapper biscuits, cake urchins, and sea cookies.[3] In South Africa, they are known as pansy shells from their suggestion of a five-petaled garden flower. The Caribbean sand dollar or inflated sea biscuit, Clypeaster rosaceus, is thicker in height than most. In Spanish-speaking areas of the Americas, the sand dollar is most often known as galleta de mar (sea cookie); the translated term is often encountered in English.
In the folklore of Georgia in the United States, sand dollars were believed to represent coins lost by mermaids.[4]
Description
Leodia sexiesperforata by Louis Agassiz (1841)
Examples of Rotulidae
Encope emarginata (aboral and oral faces) by Ernst Haeckel (1904)
Clypeaster rosaceus (aboral and oral faces) by Ernst Haeckel (1904)
Sand dollars diverged from the other irregular echinoids, namely the cassiduloids, during the early Jurassic,[5] with the first true sand dollar genus, Togocyamus, arising during the Paleocene. Soon after Togocyamus, more modern-looking groups emerged during the Eocene.[1]
Sand dollars are small in size, averaging from three to four inches.[6] As with all members of the order Clypeasteroida, they possess a rigid skeleton called a test. The test consists of calcium carbonate plates arranged in a fivefold symmetric pattern.[7] The test of certain species of sand dollar have slits called lunules that can help the animal stay embedded in the sand to stop it from being swept away by an ocean wave.[8] In living individuals, the test is covered by a skin of velvet-textured spines which are covered with very small hairs (cilia). Coordinated movements of the spines enable sand dollars to move across the seabed. The velvety spines of live sand dollars appear in a variety of colors—green, blue, violet, or purple—depending on the species. Individuals which are very recently dead or dying (moribund) are sometimes found on beaches with much of the external morphology still intact. Dead individuals are commonly found with their empty test devoid of all surface material and bleached white by sunlight.
The bodies of adult sand dollars, like those of other echinoids, display radial symmetry. The petal-like pattern in sand dollars consists of five paired rows of pores. The pores are perforations in the endoskeleton through which podia for gas exchange project from the body. The mouth of the sand dollar is located on the bottom of its body at the center of the petal-like pattern. Unlike other urchins, the bodies of sand dollars also display secondary front-to-back bilateral symmetry with no morphological distinguishing features between males and females. The anus of sand dollars is located at the back rather than at the top as in most urchins, with many more bilateral features appearing in some species. These result from the adaptation of sand dollars, in the course of their evolution, from creatures that originally lived their lives on top of the seabed (epibenthos) to creatures that burrow beneath it (endobenthos).
Echinocyamus pusillus alive.
Echinocyamus pusillus alive.
Living sand dollar.
Living sand dollar.
Eccentric sand dollars (Dendraster excentricus) at Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Eccentric sand dollars (Dendraster excentricus) at Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Echinarachnius parma (family Echinarachniidae).
Echinarachnius parma (family Echinarachniidae).
Mellita quinquiesperforata test (Clypeasteridae)
Mellita quinquiesperforata test (Clypeasteridae)
Clypeaster reticulatus test (Clypeasteridae)
Clypeaster reticulatus test (Clypeasteridae)
Echinodiscus tenuissimus test (Astriclypeidae)
Echinodiscus tenuissimus test (Astriclypeidae)
Clypeaster aegypticus, showing internal buttresses
Clypeaster aegypticus, showing internal buttresses
Suborders and families
According to World Register of Marine Species:
sub-order Clypeasterina
family Clypeasteridae L. Agassiz, 1835
family Fossulasteridae Philip & Foster, 1971 †
family Scutellinoididae Irwin, 1995 †
family Conoclypidae von Zittel, 1879 †
family Faujasiidae Lambert, 1905 †
family Oligopygidae Duncan, 1889 †
family Plesiolampadidae Lambert, 1905 †
sub-order Scutellina
infra-order Laganiformes
family Echinocyamidae Lambert & Thiéry, 1914
family Fibulariidae Gray, 1855
family Laganidae Desor, 1858
infra-order Scutelliformes
family Echinarachniidae Lambert in Lambert & Thiéry, 1914
family Eoscutellidae Durham, 1955 †
family Protoscutellidae Durham, 1955 †
family Rotulidae Gray, 1855
super-family Scutellidea Gray, 1825
family Abertellidae Durham, 1955 †
family Astriclypeidae Stefanini, 1912
family Dendrasteridae Lambert, 1900 -- Pacific eccentric sand dollar.
family Mellitidae Stefanini, 1912 -- Keyhole sand dollars
family Monophorasteridae Lahille, 1896 †
family Scutasteridae Durham, 1955 †
family Scutellidae Gray, 1825
family Taiwanasteridae Wang, 1984
family Scutellinidae Pomel, 1888a †
Underside of live Mellita quinquiesperforata
Underside of live Mellita quinquiesperforata
A number of sand dollars on the seabed
A number of sand dollars on the seabed
Sand dollar beneath the sand at low tide on Hilton Head Island
Sand dollar beneath the sand at low tide on Hilton Head Island
Live sea biscuit, Clypeaster rosaceus, commonly found off Key Biscayne, Florida
Live sea biscuit, Clypeaster rosaceus, commonly found off Key Biscayne, Florida
Behavior and habitat
A sand dollar digging into the sand on the Playa Novillero beach at low tide on the Pacific coast of Mexico
Spines on the underside of a sand dollar on the beach at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Sand dollars can be found in temperate and tropical zones along all continents.[6] Sand dollars live in waters below the mean low water line, on or just beneath the surface of sandy and muddy areas. The common sand dollar, Echinarachnius parma, can be found in the Northern Hemisphere from the intertidal zone to the depths of the ocean, while the keyhole sand dollars (three species of the genus Mellita) can be found on many a wide range of coasts in and around the Caribbean Sea.
The spines on the somewhat flattened topside and underside of the animal allow it to burrow or creep through the sediment when looking for shelter or food. Fine, hair-like cilia cover these tiny spines.[9] Sand dollars usually eat algae and organic matter found along the ocean floor, though some species will tip on their side to catch organic matter floating in ocean currents.[8]
Sand dollars frequently gather on the ocean floor, in part to their preference for soft bottom areas, which are convenient for their reproduction.[why?] The sexes are separate and, as with most echinoids, gametes are released into the water column and go through external fertilization. The nektonic larvae metamorphose through several stages before the skeleton or test begins to form, at which point they become benthic.
In 2008, biologists discovered that sand dollar larvae will clone themselves for a few different reasons. When a predator is near, certain species of sand dollar larvae will split themselves in half in a process they use to asexually clone themselves when sensing danger. The cloning process can take up to 24 hours and creates larvae that are 2/3 smaller than their original size which can help conceal them from the predator.[10] The larvae of these sand dollars clone themselves when they sense dissolved mucus from a predatory fish. The larvae exposed to this mucus from the predatory fish respond to the threat by cloning themselves. This process doubles their population and halves their size which allows them to better escape detection by the predatory fish but may make them more vulnerable to attacks from smaller predators like crustaceans. Sand dollars will also clone themselves during normal asexual reproduction. Larvae will undergo this process when food is plentiful or temperature conditions are optimal. Cloning may also occur to make use of the tissues that are normally lost during metamorphosis.
The flattened test of the sand dollar allows it to burrow into the sand and remain hidden from sight from potential predators.[8] Predators of the sand dollar are the fish species cod, flounder, sheepshead and haddock. These fish will prey on sand dollars even through their tough exterior.[9]
Sand dollars have spines on their bodies that help them to move around the ocean floor. When a sand dollar dies, it loses the spines and becomes smooth as the exoskeleton is then exposed.[11] Wikipedia. Barnacles are a type of arthropod constituting the subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacea,[1] and are hence related to crabs and lobsters. Barnacles are exclusively marine, and tend to live in shallow and tidal waters, typically in erosive settings. Around 1,000 barnacle species are currently known.[2]
They are sessile (nonmobile) and most are suspension feeders, but those in infraclass Rhizocephala are highly specialized parasites on other crustaceans. They have four nektonic (active swimming) larval stages.
Description
Whale barnacles attached to the throat of a humpback whale
Barnacles on a boat propeller.
Barnacles are encrusters, attaching themselves temporarily to a hard substrate or a symbiont such as a whale (whale barnacles), a sea snake (Platylepas ophiophila), or another crustacean, like a crab or a lobster (Rhizocephala). The most common among them, "acorn barnacles" (Sessilia), are sessile where they grow their shells directly onto the substrate.[3] Pedunculate barnacles (goose barnacles and others) attach themselves by means of a stalk.[3]
Attachment
Free-living barnacles are attached to the substratum by cement glands that form the base of the first pair of antennae; in effect, the animal is fixed upside down by means of its forehead. In some barnacles, the cement glands are fixed to a long, muscular stalk, but in most they are part of a flat membrane or calcified plate. These glands secrete a type of natural quick cement made of complex protein bonds (polyproteins) and other trace components like calcium.[4]: 2–3 This natural cement is able to withstand a pulling strength of 5,000 pounds-force per square inch (30,000 kilopascals; 400 kilograms-force per square centimetre) and a sticking strength of 22–60 pounds-force per square inch (200–400 kilopascals; 2–4 kilograms-force per square centimetre).[5]
A ring of plates surrounds the body, homologous with the carapace of other crustaceans. These consist of the rostrum, two lateral plates, two carinolaterals, and a carina.[6] In sessile barnacles, the apex of the ring of plates is covered by an operculum, which may be recessed into the carapace. The plates are held together by various means, depending on species, in some cases being solidly fused.[citation needed]
Inside body
Inside the carapace, the animal lies on its stomach, projecting its limbs downwards. Segmentation is usually indistinct, and the body is more or less evenly divided between the head and thorax, with little, if any, abdomen. Adult barnacles have few appendages on their heads, with only a single, vestigial pair of antennae, attached to the cement gland. The eight pairs of thoracic limbs are referred to as "cirri" which are feathery and very long. The cirri extend to filter food, such as plankton, from the water and move it towards the mouth.[5]
Barnacles have no true heart, although a sinus close to the esophagus performs a similar function, with blood being pumped through it by a series of muscles.[7] The blood vascular system is minimal. Similarly, they have no gills, absorbing oxygen from the water through their limbs and the inner membrane of their carapaces. The excretory organs of barnacles are maxillary glands.[citation needed]
The main sense of barnacles appears to be touch, with the hairs on the limbs being especially sensitive. The adult also has three photoreceptors (ocelli), one median and two lateral. These photoreceptors record the stimulus for the barnacle shadow reflex, where a sudden decrease in light causes cessation of the fishing rhythm and closing of the opercular plates.[8] The photoreceptors are likely only capable of sensing the difference between light and dark.[9] This eye is derived from the primary naupliar eye.[10]
Etymology
See also: Barnacle goose myth
The word "barnacle" is attested in the early 13th century as "bernekke" and originally referred to a species of goose. Because the full life cycles of both barnacles and geese was unknown at the time, (geese spend their breeding seasons in the Arctic) a folktale emerged that geese hatched from barnacles. It was not applied strictly to the invertebrate until the 1580s. The ultimate meaning of the word "barnacle" is unknown.[11][12]
Life cycle
Barnacles have two distinct larval stages, the nauplius and the cyprid, before developing into a mature adult.
Nauplius
Nauplius larva of Elminius modestus
Nauplius larva of a barnacle with fronto-lateral horns[13]
A fertilised egg hatches into a nauplius: a one-eyed larva comprising a head and a telson, without a thorax or abdomen. This undergoes six moults, passing through five instars, before transforming into the cyprid stage. Nauplii are typically initially brooded by the parent, and released after the first moult as larvae that swim freely using setae.[14][15]
Cyprid
The cyprid larva is the last larval stage before adulthood. In Rhizocephala and Thoracica an abdomen is absent in this stage, but the y-cyprids (post‐naupliar instar) has three distinct abdominal segments.[16] It is not a feeding stage; its role is to find a suitable place to settle, since the adults are sessile.[14] The cyprid stage lasts from days to weeks. It explores potential surfaces with modified antennules; once it has found a potentially suitable spot, it attaches head-first using its antennules and a secreted glycoproteinous substance. Larvae assess surfaces based upon their surface texture, chemistry, relative wettability, color, and the presence or absence and composition of a surface biofilm; swarming species are also more likely to attach near other barnacles.[17] As the larva exhausts its finite energy reserves, it becomes less selective in the sites it selects. It cements itself permanently to the substrate with another proteinaceous compound, and then undergoes metamorphosis into a juvenile barnacle.[17]
Adult
Typical acorn barnacles develop six hard calcareous plates to surround and protect their bodies. For the rest of their lives, they are cemented to the substrate, using their feathery legs (cirri) to capture plankton.
Once metamorphosis is over and they have reached their adult form, barnacles continue to grow by adding new material to their heavily calcified plates. These plates are not moulted; however, like all ecdysozoans, the barnacle itself will still moult its cuticle.[18]
Sexual reproduction
Most barnacles are hermaphroditic, although a few species are gonochoric or androdioecious. The ovaries are located in the base or stalk, and may extend into the mantle, while the testes are towards the back of the head, often extending into the thorax. Typically, recently moulted hermaphroditic individuals are receptive as females. Self-fertilization, although theoretically possible, has been experimentally shown to be rare in barnacles.[19][20]
The sessile lifestyle of barnacles makes sexual reproduction difficult, as the organisms cannot leave their shells to mate. To facilitate genetic transfer between isolated individuals, barnacles have extraordinarily long penises. Barnacles probably have the largest penis to body size ratio of the animal kingdom,[19] up to eight times their body length.[21]
Barnacles can also reproduce through a method called spermcasting, in which the male barnacle releases his sperm into the water and females pick it up and fertilise their eggs.[22][23]
The Rhizocephala superorder used to be considered hermaphroditic, but it turned out that its males inject themselves into the female's body, degrading to the condition of nothing more than sperm-producing cells.[24]
Ecology
Duration: 30 seconds.0:30
Semibalanus balanoides feeding
Most barnacles are suspension feeders; they dwell continually in their shells, which are usually constructed of six plates,[3] and reach into the water column with modified legs. These feathery appendages beat rhythmically to draw plankton and detritus into the shell for consumption.[25]
Other members of the class have quite a different mode of life. For example, members of the superorder Rhizocephala, including the genus Sacculina, are parasitic and live within crabs.[26]
Although they have been found at water depths to 600 m (2,000 ft),[3] most barnacles inhabit shallow waters, with 75% of species living in water depths less than 100 m (300 ft),[3] and 25% inhabiting the intertidal zone.[3] Within the intertidal zone, different species of barnacles live in very tightly constrained locations, allowing the exact height of an assemblage above or below sea level to be precisely determined.[3]
Since the intertidal zone periodically desiccates, barnacles are well adapted against water loss. Their calcite shells are impermeable, and they possess two plates which they can slide across their apertures when not feeding. These plates also protect against predation.[27]
One group of stalked barnacles have adapted to a rafting lifestyle, where they are drifting around close to the water's surface. They will colonize every floating object, such as driftwood, and like some non-stalked barnacles, also attach themselves to marine animals. The species most specialized for this lifestyle is Dosima fascicularis, which secretes a gas-filled cement that makes it float at the surface.[28]
Barnacles are displaced by limpets and mussels, which compete for space. They also have numerous predators.[3] They employ two strategies to overwhelm their competitors: "swamping" and fast growth. In the swamping strategy, vast numbers of barnacles settle in the same place at once, covering a large patch of substrate, allowing at least some to survive in the balance of probabilities.[3] Fast growth allows the suspension feeders to access higher levels of the water column than their competitors, and to be large enough to resist displacement; species employing this response, such as the aptly named Megabalanus, can reach 7 cm (3 in) in length;[3] other species may grow larger still (Austromegabalanus psittacus).
Competitors may include other barnacles, and disputed evidence indicates balanoid barnacles competitively displaced chthalamoid barnacles. Balanoids gained their advantage over the chthalamoids in the Oligocene, when they evolved tubular skeletons, which provide better anchorage to the substrate, and allow them to grow faster, undercutting, crushing, and smothering chthalamoids.[29]
Among the most common predators on barnacles are whelks. They are able to grind through the calcareous exoskeletons of barnacles and feed on the softer inside parts. Mussels also prey on barnacle larvae.[30] Another predator on barnacles is the starfish species Pisaster ochraceus.[31][32]
Barnacles and limpets compete for space in the intertidal zone
Barnacles and limpets compete for space in the intertidal zone
Goose barnacles, with their cirri extended for feeding
Goose barnacles, with their cirri extended for feeding
Underside of large Chesaconcavus sp. (Miocene) showing internal plates in bioimmured smaller barnacles
Underside of large Chesaconcavus sp. (Miocene) showing internal plates in bioimmured smaller barnacles
The anatomy of parasitic barnacles is generally simpler than that of their free-living relatives. They have no carapace or limbs, having only unsegmented sac-like bodies. Such barnacles feed by extending thread-like rhizomes of living cells into their hosts' bodies from their points of attachment.[9]
History of taxonomy
"Cirripedia" from Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur (1904): The crab at the centre is nursing the externa of the parasitic cirripede Sacculina.
Barnacles were originally classified by Linnaeus and Cuvier as Mollusca, but in 1830 John Vaughan Thompson published observations showing the metamorphosis of the nauplius and cypris larvae into adult barnacles, and noted how these larvae were similar to those of crustaceans. In 1834 Hermann Burmeister published further information, reinterpreting these findings. The effect was to move barnacles from the phylum of Mollusca to Articulata, showing naturalists that detailed study was needed to reevaluate their taxonomy.[33]
Charles Darwin took up this challenge in 1846, and developed his initial interest into a major study published as a series of monographs in 1851 and 1854.[33] Darwin undertook this study, at the suggestion of his friend Joseph Dalton Hooker, to thoroughly understand at least one species before making the generalisations needed for his theory of evolution by natural selection.[34][35] Upon the conclusion of his research, Darwin declared "I hate a barnacle as no man ever did before."[36][35]
The name Cirripedia comes from the Latin words cirritus "curly" from cirrus "curl"[37] and pedis from pes "foot,"[38] the two words together mean "curl-footed."[39][further explanation needed] The study of barnacles is called cirripedology.
Classification
Some authorities regard the Cirripedia as a full class or subclass, and the orders listed above are sometimes treated as superorders. In 2001, Martin and Davis placed Cirripedia as an infraclass of Thecostraca and divided it into six orders:[40]
Infraclass Cirripedia Burmeister, 1834
Superorder Acrothoracica Gruvel, 1905
Order Pygophora Berndt, 1907
Order Apygophora Berndt, 1907
Superorder Rhizocephala Müller, 1862
Order Kentrogonida Delage, 1884
Order Akentrogonida Häfele, 1911
Superorder Thoracica Darwin, 1854
Order Pedunculata Lamarck, 1818
Order Sessilia Lamarck, 1818
In 2021, Chan et al. elevated Cirripedia to subclass of the class Thecostraca, and the superorders Acrothoracica, Rhizocephala, and Thoracica to infraclass. The updated classification, which now includes 11 orders, has been accepted in the World Register of Marine Species.[41][1]
Subclass Cirripedia Burmeister, 1834
Infraclass Acrothoracica Gruvel, 1905
Order Cryptophialida Kolbasov, Newman & Hoeg, 2009
Order Lithoglyptida Kolbasov, Newman & Hoeg, 2009
Infraclass Rhizocephala Müller, 1862
Infraclass Thoracica Darwin, 1854
Superorder Phosphatothoracica Gale, 2019
Order Iblomorpha Buckeridge & Newman, 2006
Order † Eolepadomorpha Chan et al., 2021
Superorder Thoracicalcarea Gale, 2015
Order Calanticomorpha Chan et al., 2021
Order Pollicipedomorpha Chan et al., 2021
Order Scalpellomorpha Buckeridge & Newman, 2006
Order † Archaeolepadomorpha Chan et al., 2021
Order † Brachylepadomorpha Withers, 1923
(Unranked) Sessilia
Order Balanomorpha Pilsbry, 1916
Order Verrucomorpha Pilsbry, 1916
Fossil record
The oldest definitive fossil barnacle is Praelepas from the mid-Carboniferous, around 330-320 million years ago.[42] Older claimed barnacles such as Priscansermarinus from the Middle Cambrian (on the order of 510 to 500 million years ago)[43] do not show clear barnacle morphological traits, though Rhamphoverritor from the Silurian Coalbrookdale Formation of England may represent a stem-group barnacle.[42] Barnacles first radiated and became diverse during the Late Cretaceous. Barnacles underwent a second, much larger radiation beginning during the Neogene (last 23 million years), which continues to present.[42] In part, their poor skeletal preservation is due to their restriction to high-energy environments, which tend to be erosional – therefore it is more common for their shells to be ground up by wave action than for them to reach a depositional setting.
Barnacles can play an important role in estimating paleo-water depths. The degree of disarticulation of fossils suggests the distance they have been transported, and since many species have narrow ranges of water depths, it can be assumed that the animals lived in shallow water and broke up as they were washed down-slope. The completeness of fossils, and nature of damage, can thus be used to constrain the tectonic history of regions.[3]
Balanus improvisus, one of the many barnacle taxa described by Charles Darwin
Balanus improvisus, one of the many barnacle taxa described by Charles Darwin
Miocene (Messinian) Megabalanus, smothered by sand and fossilised
Miocene (Messinian) Megabalanus, smothered by sand and fossilised
Chesaconcavus, a Miocene barnacle from Maryland
Chesaconcavus, a Miocene barnacle from Maryland
Relationship with humans
Barnacles are of economic consequence, as they often attach themselves to synthetic structures, sometimes to the structure's detriment. Particularly in the case of ships, they are classified as fouling organisms.[44] The number and size of barnacles that cover ships can impair their efficiency by causing hydrodynamic drag. This is not a problem for boats on inland waterways, as barnacles are exclusively marine. The stable isotope signals in the layers of barnacle shells can potentially be used as a forensic tracking method[45] for whales, loggerhead turtles[46] and marine debris, such as shipwrecks or a flaperon suspected to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.[47][48][49]
The flesh of some barnacles is routinely consumed by humans, including Japanese goose barnacles (e.g. Capitulum mitella), and goose barnacles (e.g. Pollicipes pollicipes), a delicacy in Spain and Portugal.[50]
Additionally, the picoroco barnacle is used in Chilean cuisine and is one of the ingredients in curanto seafood stew.
MIT researchers developed an adhesive, inspired by a protein-based bioglue produced by barnacles to firmly attach to rocks, which can form a tight seal to halt bleeding within about 15 seconds of application.[51] Wikipedia](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53414922041_f963377d79_b.jpg)
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