Occurrence of Epibiont Barnacles Chelonibia testudinaria on Green Turtle Chelonia mydas at Brunei Bay

• Main Authors: M.Z. Ihwan, Juanita Joseph, A.S. Jamaan, Wahidah Wahab, H. Marina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: SH Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling
• Online Access: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/23974/1/Occurrenceof%20Epibiont%20Barnacles%20Chelonibia%20testudinaria%20on%20Green%20Turtle%20Chelonia%20mydas%20at%20Brunei%20Bay.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/23974/; http://10.3923/ijzr.2018.43.48
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Sabah

Background and Objectives: Barnacles are sessile organisms that attach themselves permanently to the surface of hard or living substrates. Turtle barnacles are also commonly found as epibionts on others marine organisms. Marine turtles are one example of living substrates colonised by barnacles. A sampling activity were conducted on April, 2016 objectively to observe the barnacles as an epibiosis on Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) of Brunei bay, located at Lawas, Sabah. This survey intended to identify the species of barnacle species infested on Green turtles in these areas and the specific location of attachment on the bodies of turtles. Materials and Methods: Turtle were sampled using netting trap which cover the feeding area. The sample were collected during low tide which is the turtle already stranded in the target location. The turtle were release after the data for carapace width and length, weight and barnacle attachment were recorded. Data were analyzed using standard analysis Microsoft Excel 2007 and the prevalence of the epibiont was calculated using standard methods. Results and Discussion: Chelonibia testudinaria were identified from 5 sea turtles (n = 5) which trapped. Due to the previous study, C. testudinaria is specific on marine turtle especially C. mydas. The site preferences for most of the barnacles were on the carapace (30.6%) of the turtles. Conclusion: From the observation, the environmental and habitat are the contributing factors that affect the prevalence of the barnacle attachment on the host body.