# Sacculina > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sacculina > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sacculina.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacculina > Source revision: 1349945946 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) ***Sacculina*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of [barnacles](/source/Barnacle) that is a [parasitic castrator](/source/Parasitic_castrator) of [crabs](/source/Crab). They belong to a group called [Rhizocephala](/source/Rhizocephala). The adults bear no resemblance to the barnacles that cover ships, whales, and piers; they are recognised as barnacles because their [larval](/source/Larval) forms are like other members of the barnacle [class](/source/Class_(biology)) [Cirripedia](/source/Cirripedia). The prevalence of this crustacean parasite in its crab host can be as high as 50%.[2][3] ## Habitat *Sacculina* live in a marine environment. During their larval stage they are [pelagic](/source/Pelagic_zone), but as they form into adults they live as [ectoparasites](/source/Ectoparasites) on crabs. Their primary host is the [green crab](/source/Green_crab), which is native to the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. Though these crabs have spread to other bodies of water, it is not believed that *Sacculina* barnacles have traveled with them to these new localities.[4] ## Anatomy The body of the adult parasite can be divided into two parts: one part is called the "externa" where the bulbous reproductive organ of the parasite sticks out of the abdomen of the host. The other part is called the "interna" which is inside the host's body. This part is composed of root-like tendrils that wrap themselves around the host's organs, which gives its group name of Rhizocephala, meaning "root-head". Through [microCT](/source/MicroCT) scans, these roots have been discovered to wrap around certain organs of the body, with most around the [hepatopancreas](/source/Hepatopancreas) of crustaceans. This area is primarily for absorbing nutrients, which would explain why most concentrate in that region. In a similar species called *Briarosaccus* roots were seen extending to the brain and central nervous system, which is a hypothesis to help explain how parasites like these can manipulate their hosts' behavior. ## Life cycle The female *Sacculina* [larva](/source/Larva) finds a crab and walks on it until she finds a joint. She then [molts](/source/Molting#Arthropods) into a form called a **kentrogon**, which then injects her soft body into the crab while her [shell](/source/Exoskeleton) falls off. The *Sacculina* grows in the crab, emerging as a sac, known as an *externa*, on the underside of the crab's rear [thorax](/source/Thorax), where the crab's [eggs](/source/Egg_(biology)) would be incubated. Parasitic *Sacculina* destroy a crab's genitalia, rendering the crab permanently infertile. After this invasion of the *Sacculina*, the crab is unable to perform the normal function of molting. This results in a loss of nutrition for the crab, and impairs its overall growth. The natural ability of regrowing a severed [claw](/source/Claw) that is commonly used for defense purposes is therefore lost after the infestation of *Sacculina*. The male *Sacculina* 'larva' looks for a female *Sacculina* on the underside of a crab. He then implants his cells into a pocket in the female's body called the "testis", where the male cells then produce spermatozoa to fertilize eggs. When a female *Sacculina* is implanted in a male crab, it interferes with the crab's hormonal balance. This [sterilizes](/source/Reproduction) it and changes the bodily layout of the crab to resemble that of a female crab by widening and flattening its abdomen, among other things. The female *Sacculina* then forces the crab's body to release hormones, causing it to act like a female crab, even to the point of performing female mating dances. If the parasite is removed from the host, female crabs will normally regenerate new ovarian tissue, while males usually develop complete or partial ovaries instead of testes.[5] Although all energy otherwise expended on reproduction is directed to the *Sacculina*, the crab develops a nurturing behavior typical of a normal female crab. The natural hatching process of a crab consists of the female finding a high rock and grooming its brood pouch on its abdomen and releasing the fertilized eggs in the water through a bobbing motion. The female crab stirs the water with her claw to aid the flow of the water. When the hatching larvae of *Sacculina* are ready to emerge from the brood pouch of female *Sacculina*, the crab performs a similar process. The crab shoots them out in pulses, creating a large cloud of *Sacculina* larvae. The crab uses the familiar technique of stirring the water to aid in flow.[6] ## Life span *Sacculina* are primarily host dependent so their life span matches that of their hosts. Crabs usually have a life span anywhere from 1 to 2 years.[7] ## Biological control agents *Sacculina* has been suggested to be used as a type of biological control agent to help reduce the populations of the invasive [green crab](/source/Carcinus_maenas). This is controversial because *Sacculina* can also use native crab species as their host and there would be no way to control or stop them from attacking native species.[4] ## Species More than 100 species of *Sacculina* are currently recognised:[8] - *[Sacculina abyssicola](/source/Sacculina_abyssicola)* Guérin-Ganivet 1911 - *[Sacculina actaeae](/source/Sacculina_actaeae)* Guérin-Ganivet 1911 - *[Sacculina aculeata](/source/Sacculina_aculeata)* Boschma, 1928 - *[Sacculina ales](/source/Sacculina_ales)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina americana](/source/Sacculina_americana)* Reinhard, 1955 - *[Sacculina amplituba](/source/Sacculina_amplituba)* Phillips, 1978 - *[Sacculina anceps](/source/Sacculina_anceps)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina angulata](/source/Sacculina_angulata)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina anomala](/source/Sacculina_anomala)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina atlantica](/source/Sacculina_atlantica)* Boschma, 1927 - *[Sacculina beauforti](/source/Sacculina_beauforti)* Boschma, 1949 - *[Sacculina bicuspidata](/source/Sacculina_bicuspidata)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina bipunctata](/source/Sacculina_bipunctata)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina boschmai](/source/Sacculina_boschmai)* Reinhard, 1955 - *[Sacculina bourdoni](/source/Sacculina_bourdoni)* Boschma, 1960 - *[Sacculina brevispina](/source/Sacculina_brevispina)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina bucculenta](/source/Sacculina_bucculenta)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina bursapastoris](/source/Sacculina_bursapastoris)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina caelata](/source/Sacculina_caelata)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina calappae](/source/Sacculina_calappae)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina calva](/source/Sacculina_calva)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina captiva](/source/Sacculina_captiva)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina carcini](/source/Sacculina_carcini)* Thompson, 1836 - *[Sacculina carpiliae](/source/Sacculina_carpiliae)* Guérin-Ganivet 1911 - *[Sacculina cartieri](/source/Sacculina_cartieri)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina cavolinii](/source/Sacculina_cavolinii)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina comosa](/source/Sacculina_comosa)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina compressa](/source/Sacculina_compressa)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina confragosa](/source/Sacculina_confragosa)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina cordata](/source/Sacculina_cordata)* Shiino, 1943 - *[Sacculina crucifera](/source/Sacculina_crucifera)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina curvata](/source/Sacculina_curvata)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina cuspidata](/source/Sacculina_cuspidata)* Boschma, 1949 - *[Sacculina dayi](/source/Sacculina_dayi)* Boschma, 1958 - *[Sacculina dentata](/source/Sacculina_dentata)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina docleae](/source/Sacculina_docleae)* Huang & Lützen, 1998 - *[Sacculina duracina](/source/Sacculina_duracina)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina echinulata](/source/Sacculina_echinulata)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina elongata](/source/Sacculina_elongata)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina eriphiae](/source/Sacculina_eriphiae)* Smith, 1906 - *[Sacculina exarcuata](/source/Sacculina_exarcuata)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina fabacea](/source/Sacculina_fabacea)* Shiino, 1943 - *[Sacculina flacca](/source/Sacculina_flacca)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina flexuosa](/source/Sacculina_flexuosa)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina gerbei](/source/Sacculina_gerbei)* Guérin-Ganivet 1911 - *[Sacculina ghanensis](/source/Sacculina_ghanensis)* Boschma, 1971 - *[Sacculina gibba](/source/Sacculina_gibba)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina glabra](/source/Sacculina_glabra)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina globularis](/source/Sacculina_globularis)* Boschma, 1970 - *[Sacculina gonoplaxae](/source/Sacculina_gonoplaxae)* Guérin-Ganivet 1911 - *[Sacculina gordonae](/source/Sacculina_gordonae)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina gracilis](/source/Sacculina_gracilis)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina granifera](/source/Sacculina_granifera)* Boschma, 1973 - *[Sacculina granulosa](/source/Sacculina_granulosa)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina guineensis](/source/Sacculina_guineensis)* Boschma, 1971 - *[Sacculina hartnolli](/source/Sacculina_hartnolli)* Boschma, 1965 - *[Sacculina herbstianodosa](/source/Sacculina_herbstianodosa)* (Hesse, 1867) - *[Sacculina hirsuta](/source/Sacculina_hirsuta)* Boschma, 1925 - *[Sacculina hirta](/source/Sacculina_hirta)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina hispida](/source/Sacculina_hispida)* Boschma, 1928 - *[Sacculina holthuisi](/source/Sacculina_holthuisi)* Boschma, 1956 - *[Sacculina hystrix](/source/Sacculina_hystrix)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina ignorata](/source/Sacculina_ignorata)* Boschma, 1947 - *[Sacculina imberbis](/source/Sacculina_imberbis)* Shiino, 1943 - *[Sacculina inconstans](/source/Sacculina_inconstans)* Boschma, 1952 - *[Sacculina infirma](/source/Sacculina_infirma)* Boschma, 1953 - *[Sacculina inflata](/source/Sacculina_inflata)* Leuckart, 1859 - *[Sacculina insueta](/source/Sacculina_insueta)* Boschma, 1966 - *[Sacculina irrorata](/source/Sacculina_irrorata)* Boschma, 1934 - *[Sacculina jamaicensis](/source/Sacculina_jamaicensis)* Boschma, 1966 - *[Sacculina lata](/source/Sacculina_lata)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina leopoldi](/source/Sacculina_leopoldi)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina leptothrix](/source/Sacculina_leptothrix)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina lobata](/source/Sacculina_lobata)* Boschma, 1965 - *[Sacculina loricata](/source/Sacculina_loricata)* Boschma 1955 - *[Sacculina margaritifera](/source/Sacculina_margaritifera)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina micracantha](/source/Sacculina_micracantha)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina microthrix](/source/Sacculina_microthrix)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina muricata](/source/Sacculina_muricata)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina nectocarcini](/source/Sacculina_nectocarcini)* Gurney et al. 2006 - *[Sacculina nigra](/source/Sacculina_nigra)* Shiino, 1943 - *[Sacculina nodosa](/source/Sacculina_nodosa)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina ornatula](/source/Sacculina_ornatula)* Boschma, 1951 - *[Sacculina ostracotheris](/source/Sacculina_ostracotheris)* Boschma, 1967 - *[Sacculina papposa](/source/Sacculina_papposa)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina pertenuis](/source/Sacculina_pertenuis)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina phacelothrix](/source/Sacculina_phacelothrix)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina pilosa](/source/Sacculina_pilosa)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina pilosella](/source/Sacculina_pilosella)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina pinnotherae](/source/Sacculina_pinnotherae)* Shiino, 1943 - *[Sacculina pisiformis](/source/Sacculina_pisiformis)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina pistillata](/source/Sacculina_pistillata)* Boschma, 1952 - *[Sacculina pomum](/source/Sacculina_pomum)* Kossmann, 1872 - *[Sacculina pugettiae](/source/Sacculina_pugettiae)* Shiino, 1943 - *[Sacculina pulchella](/source/Sacculina_pulchella)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina punctata](/source/Sacculina_punctata)* Boschma, 1934 - *[Sacculina pustulata](/source/Sacculina_pustulata)* Boschma, 1925 - *[Sacculina quadrialata](/source/Sacculina_quadrialata)* Boyko & van der Meij, 2018 - *[Sacculina rathbunae](/source/Sacculina_rathbunae)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina reinhardi](/source/Sacculina_reinhardi)* Boschma 1955 - *[Sacculina reniformis](/source/Sacculina_reniformis)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina robusta](/source/Sacculina_robusta)* Boschma, 1948 - *[Sacculina rotundata](/source/Sacculina_rotundata)* Miers, 1880 - *[Sacculina rugosa](/source/Sacculina_rugosa)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina scabra](/source/Sacculina_scabra)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina schmitti](/source/Sacculina_schmitti)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina scutigera](/source/Sacculina_scutigera)* Huang & Lützen, 1998 - *[Sacculina semistriata](/source/Sacculina_semistriata)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina senta](/source/Sacculina_senta)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina serenei](/source/Sacculina_serenei)* Boschma, 1954 - *[Sacculina setosa](/source/Sacculina_setosa)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina spectabilis](/source/Sacculina_spectabilis)* Boschma, 1948 - *[Sacculina spinosa](/source/Sacculina_spinosa)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina striata](/source/Sacculina_striata)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina sulcata](/source/Sacculina_sulcata)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina surinamensis](/source/Sacculina_surinamensis)* Boschma, 1966 - *[Sacculina teres](/source/Sacculina_teres)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina teretiuscula](/source/Sacculina_teretiuscula)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina ternatensis](/source/Sacculina_ternatensis)* Boschma, 1950 - *[Sacculina upogebiae](/source/Sacculina_upogebiae)* Shiino, 1943 - *[Sacculina vankampeni](/source/Sacculina_vankampeni)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina verrucosa](/source/Sacculina_verrucosa)* van Kampen & Boschma 1925 - *[Sacculina vieta](/source/Sacculina_vieta)* Boschma, 1933 - *[Sacculina weberi](/source/Sacculina_weberi)* Boschma, 1931 - *[Sacculina zariquieyi](/source/Sacculina_zariquieyi)* Boschma, 1947 ## References 1. Thompson, J. V. (1836). ["Natural history and metamorphosis of an anomalous crustaceous parasite of Carcinus maenas, the *Sacculina carcini*"](http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=197420). *The Entomological Magazine*. **3**: 452–456. 1. Ross, Piper (2007). [*Extraordinary animals : an encyclopedia of curious and unusual animals*](https://archive.org/details/extraordinaryani0000pipe). Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0313339226. [OCLC 191846476](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/191846476) 1. Leung, Tommy (2016-10-06). ["*Peltogaster* sp."](https://dailyparasite.blogspot.com/2016/10/peltogaster-sp.html). *Parasite of the Day*. Retrieved 2017-11-30. 1. ["The Parasitic *Sacculina* That Bends Its Host to Its Own Will"](http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/10/parasitic-sacculina-bends-host-will). *Today I Found Out*. 2013-10-07. Retrieved 2017-11-30. 1. [General Parasitology](https://books.google.com/books?id=d4GQlYzode8C&dq=%22when+the+Saccalina+parasite+is+removed%2C+the+female+host+generally+regenerates+new+ovarian+tissue%22&pg=PA756) 1. Zimmer, Carl (2001). *Parasite rex : inside the bizarre world of nature's most dangerous creatures*. 1st Touchstone ed. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 074320011X. [OCLC 47903774](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/47903774) 1. ["*Sacculina carcini*"](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sacculina_carcini). *Animal Diversity Web*. Retrieved 2017-11-30. 1. ["World Register of Marine Species, genus *Sacculina*"](http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=134782). Retrieved 2021-09-01. ### Sources - Boschma, H. (1955). ["The described species of the family Sacculinidae"](https://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/148938). *[Zoologische Verhandelingen](/source/Zoologische_Verhandelingen)*. **27** (1): 1–76. - (cites many earlier papers by Boschma and others including other sources for the above list) - Guérin-Ganivet, J. (1911). "Contribution a l'étude systématique et biologique des Rhizocéphales". *Travaux scientifiques du Laboratoire de Zoologie et de Physiologie Maritimes de Concarneau*. **3** (7): 1–97. - Gurney, R. H.; Rybakov, A. V.; Høeg, J. T.; Kuris, A. M. (2006). "*Sacculina nectocarcini, a new species of rhizocephalan*, a new species of rhizocephalan(Cirripedia: Rhizocephala) parasitising the red rock crab *Nectocarcinus integrifrons (Decapoda: Brachyura: Portunidae)*(Decapoda: Brachyura: Portunidae)". *Zootaxa*. **1332**: 37–50. [doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1332.1.2](https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1332.1.2) - van Kampen, Pieter Nicolaas & Boschma, Hilbrandt (1925). *Die rhizocephalen der Siboga-expedition* (in German). Leiden: Brill. [OCLC 6845128](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/6845128) ## External links - Zimmer, Carl (August 2000). ["Do Parasites Rule the World?"](http://discovermagazine.com/2000/aug/cover/). [Discover](/source/Discover_(magazine)) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sacculina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacculina) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacculina?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.