Ageing ectoparasitic barnacles?

[John Bruner]

Does anyone know if it is possible to age a barnacle?  Specifically, I am
interested in ageing the ectoparasitic barnacle *Anelasma*
(Crustacea, Cirripedia, Thoracica, Lepadomorpha).  I was wondering if it
would be possible to age these barnacles as an independent age estimate of
the deepsea velvet belly lanternshark *Etmopterus spinax* (Linneaus, 1758)
on which they have been found?  Can the carina, rostrum, scuta, or terga
of *Anelasma* be used to give an age estimate of the individual barnacle?

        John
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* Mr. John C. Bruner                                 *
* Department of Biological Sciences                  *
* University of Alberta                              *
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