Max Size: <1 cm diameter (<0.5in)
Habitat: Shallow, marine environments and attached to hard substrates.
Diet: Plankton
Species:
Northern Barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides)
Ivory Barnacle (Amphibalanus eburneus)
Fun Facts:
- Larval Barnacles travel for food, but once they mature they settle in one location: typically on rocks, ships, piers or pilings, but sometimes on large animals such as whales.
- Barnacles typically live for about 10 years, but some of the larger species can live up to 20 years.
- They are actually crustaceans that construct a calcareous (calcium-based) shell around themselves; they look like little, upside-down shrimp inside the shell!
- S. balanoides (Northern barnacle) is more common, A. eburneus (ivory barnacle) is whiter and wider with a lower peak.