1411
New Zealand Journal of Ecology (1978) 1: 77 – 80

M. B. Jones
1
B. A. Foster
2
  1. Department of Zoology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
  2. Department of Zoology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Abstract

The balanomorph barnacle Megabalanus decorus (Darwin, 1854) (Balanidae) is recorded attached to a plastic fish tag taken from a trevally (Caranx georgianus) collected in the Bay of Plenty (37° 53.2' S, 176° 50' E), and attached to the spine of the posterior dorsal fin of a male dogfish (Squalus acanthias L.) trawled from off the Kaikoura Peninsula (42° 25' S, 173° 42' E), New Zealand. Despite its extensive geographical distribution from the Kermadec Islands (30° S, 178° 30' E) to Macquarie Island (54° 29' S, 158° 58' E), and its usage of ships, sharks and other nektonic objects, M. decoru has not spread beyond the New Zealand region.