Annual breeding patterns of the intertidal barnacle Microeuraphia permitini (Chthamalidae, Euraphinae) in different habitats of the Persian Gulf

As the reproductive cycle of barnacles is regulated by different physical and biological factors, their annual breeding patterns can be locally adapted. This study aims to describe the breeding patterns of Microeuraphia permitini in the Persian Gulf, Iran, in three different habitats. Barnacles from three locations were examined monthly during one year. The results showed that M. permitini matures very rapidly in the Persian Gulf. This species reproduces year-round with peak breeding between May and August, and shows a decline in breeding between November and January. Although the Persian Gulf is restricted by the Hormuz Strait, the reproductive activity of the barnacle shows a decline coinciding with the Indian Ocean summer monsoon, as the brood percentage falls in that period. Additionally, comparison of mean breeding activity between the three sites revealed that breeding activity is different in the different habitats surveyed (mangrove swamp > exposed rocky jetty > sheltered rocky jetty).