ASHINKAILEPADINI

Buckeridge, John S., 2009, Ashinkailepas kermadecensis, a new species of deep-sea scalpelliform barnacle (Thoracica: Eolepadidae) from the Kermadec Islands, southwest Pacific, Zootaxa 2021, pp. 57-65 : 58

Tribe ASHINKAILEPADINI Yamaguchi, Newman & Hashimoto, 2004

Diagnosis. Neolepadinae having capitular plates ornamented by longitudinal ribs or ridges, capitulum length equal to or longer than that of the peduncle; peduncle (if undistorted) with whorls of six scales which are considerably wider than high.

Remarks. The Neolepadinae was first used in Newman (1996), but was not defined. Although not systematically listed in Yamaguchi et al. (2004), the Neolepadinae is included in their diagnosis of the Neolepadini and Ashinkailepadini ; they also state, in discussion, that these two tribes together comprise the Neolepadinae . As the diagnoses in Yamaguchi et al. (2004) do include sufficient description, the authorship of the Neolepadinae was subsequently ascribed to them by Newman (2004).

In their diagnosis of the tribe, Yamaguchi et al. (2004: 112) state that the Ashinkailepadini possess “a peduncular to capitular ratio of 1:1 or less”. As this clause is ambiguous, it is not sustained in the above diagnosis, i.e. if the word “less” applies specifically to the capitulum (which is how it could be interpreted), it would indicate that the capitulum length is either equal to, or less than the peduncle. This is clearly not the situation. The diagnosis also notes that the peduncular whorls are comprised of six scales “if undistorted”. All 18 specimens of the taxon described herein have curved peduncles, the curvature ranging from strong to weak; as such all are to some degree “distorted”, although I believe this is simply normal growth habit – resulting from an initial horizontal growth away from a vertical substrate, then curving upwards. In all specimens observed, the peduncle may be divided vertically into an inner, compressed portion and an outer extended portion. In the outer part of the curvature the scales are significantly larger and are clearly arranged into four vertical rows, i.e. a single row below both the rostrum and carina plus two further rows between these (see Plate 1: 1, 4, 5). However in the inner, compressed portion of some specimens, the two vertical rows between carina and rostrum are significantly distorted, such that three, or even four indistinct “rows”, may be envisaged. As there is less space in the compressed portion, the inner rows are made up of very much smaller scales.