The occurrence of the coronuloid barnacle Chelonibia Leach, 1817 as an encruster on mammalian bone in the central Mediterranean Sea

Among the turtle and whale barnacles (Coronuloidea: Chelonibiidae, Coronulidae, †Emersoni-idae Platylepadidae), members of chelonibiid species Chelonibia testudinaria (Linnaeus, 1758) are known as epizoic that can attach to a rather wide spectrum substrates (pri-marily sea turtles, crabs sirenians). At present, three living morphs C. have been recognised; these, less host-specific is patula morph, which also displays remarkably simple, unspecialised shell architecture. Here we report on several shells, referred morph testudinaria, encrusting cetacean scapula collected from floor Adriatic Sea facing Salento (Apulia Region, southeastern Italy) tentatively Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821). This one few records worldwide coronuloid barnacle an inanimate substrate, well second encruster mammalian bone. Such unusual occurrence then briefly discussed in broader framework commensalism substrate habits.