A rejoinder and addendum to Hayashi (2011) regarding the systematics and biology of the turtle and whale barnacles (Cirripedia: Balanomorpha: Coronuloidea)

Barnacles of the superfamily Coronuloidea are obligate commensals of motile marine animals (Newman & Ross, 1976). Excepting the coronuloid genus Chelonibia Leach, the species included in this superfamily occur strictly upon marine vertebrates, particularly sea turtles and whales (Frick et al., 2011). Chelonophilic (turtle-associated) and cetophilic (whale-associated) coronuloids produce highly-ornamented shells with elaborations that enable these barnacles to grasp the skin of the host (Frick et al., 2010a). These same ornamentations are also useful characters for elucidating taxonomic affinities within the Coronuloidea (Darwin, 1854; Pilsbry, 1916; Ross & Frick, 2007). Recently, Hayashi (2011) published a review—including new records—of the coronuloid barnacles from turtles and whales in Japanese waters. His publication includes some of the most detailed photographs and illustrations of coronuloid morphology published to date. However, the same publication also contains a number of errata concerning the biology and systematics of the turtle and whale barnacles. Additionally, Hayashi (2011) excludes a number of noteworthy observations from recent studies that represent ‘the state of our knowledge’ on coronuloid biology and classification. Hayashi (2011) is an important and sorely-needed study on the coronuloid barnacles from Japanese waters, but the significance of his findings are unfortunately overshadowed by the author’s misrepresentations and misunderstandings of coronuloid biology, taxonomy and nomenclatural history. The present commentary seeks to address these problems and to rectify them in order to highlight the most noteworthy observations presented by Hayashi (2011).