Tetraclita ehsani sp. n. (Cirripedia, Tetraclitidae), a common intertidal barnacle from the Gulf of Oman, Iran

Abstract. A new species of intertidal acorn barnacle Tetraclita ehsani sp. n. was identified from the Iranian coast in the Gulf of Oman. Tetraclita ehsani sp. n. inhabits low exposed rocky shores and also attaches to shells of molluscs and the barnacle Megabalanus species. Parietes of Tetraclita ehsani ranged from white to pink which is different from Tetraclita serrata (in South African waters), which has green parietes. Morphology of the tergum and cirrus III of Tetraclita ehsani sp. n. is distinctive from other described West Indian Ocean species which have pink or white parietes (Tetraclita rufotincta, Tetraclita achituvi and Tetraclita reni). The tergum of Tetraclita ehsani is very narrow and the basal margin is slightly concave or straight, in contrast to Tetraclita rufotincta and Tetraclita reni, in which the tergum are board and with a very concave basal margin. Cirrus I anterior ramus of both Tetraclita ehsani and Tetraclita reni is antenniform and thus differing from the cirrus I of Tetraclita rufotincta (see Chan et al. 2009). Cirrus III of Tetraclita ehsani sp. n. is non-antenniform and lacks multicuspidate type setae, which is different from Tetraclita reni by having an antenniform cirrus III and with multicuspidate setae.