Platylepas Gray, 1825

Collareta, Alberto, Reitano, Agatino, Rosso, Antonietta, Sanfilippo, Rossana, Bosselaers, Mark, Bianucci, Giovanni & Insacco, Gianni, 2019, The oldest platylepadid turtle barnacle (Cirripedia, Coronuloidea): a new species of Platylepas from the Lower Pleistocene of Italy, European Journal of Taxonomy 516, pp. 1-17 : 4-5

Genus Platylepas Gray, 1825

Diagnosis

As for the subfamily, until new genera are referred here.

Type species

Lepas hexastylos Fabricius, 1798 , by the subsequent designation of Pilsbry (1916: 264).

Included species

Platylepas hexastylos ; P. decorata Darwin, 1854 ; P. ophiophila Lanchester, 1902 ; P. indicus Daniel, 1958 ; † P. wilsoni Ross, 1963 ; P. coriacea Monroe & Limpus, 1979 ; † P. mediterranea sp. nov.

Remarks

Following Utinomi (1970) and Hayashi (2013), we consider Cryptolepas ophiophilus Krüger, 1912 (= Platylepas krügeri sensu Pilsbry 1916 ) to be a junior synonym of Platylepas ophiophila . Moreover, we concur with various authors (e.g., Monroe & Limpus 1979; Ross & Frick 2011; Hayashi 2013) in regarding Platylepas multidecorata Daniel, 1962 as a junior synonym of Platylepas decorata Darwin, 1854 .

Range and distribution

Early Pleistocene (Gelasian) to Recent. Recorded as fossil from the Lower Pleistocene (Gelasian) of Sicily, southwest Italy (present paper) and the Upper Pleistocene of Florida, southeastern USA († P. wilsoni ). Currently known as an epizoic phoront found on several marine vertebrates (such as turtles, sea snakes, sirenians and fish) occurring in tropical and warm-temperate seas (between ca 45° N and ca 45° S latitude).