Barnacles
CLASS CIRRIPEDIA
SPECIES OF Barnacles
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ANATOMY OF Barnacles
OVERVIEW
Barnacles are extremely common in the intertidal zone as they will stick to and grow on any rock, shell, or hard surface scattered on the shore! Barnacles belong to the class Cirripedia.
BARNACLES ARE CRUSTACEANS?!
As unbelievable as it may seem, barnacles are actually crustaceans and are closely related to crabs and prawns! Although adult barnacles look nothing like their crustacean cousins, their larvae look really alike!
ENDLESS OCEAN BUFFET!
Since adult barnacles are stuck onto rocks and can’t move to find food, they have to let their food come to them by filter feeding! To do this, barnacles have curly and feathery legs which work as a net to capture plankton and tiny food particles floating in the water. That’s why barnacles belong to the class Cirripedia, which means “curly feet” in Latin!
SHUT THE DOOR!
During high tide, barnacles extend their legs out from their shell opening to filter feed. However, when the tide recedes, they are no longer covered by seawater and are exposed to the hot sun. So, at low tide, barnacles seal their shell opening by closing a “door” called an operculum. This prevents them from drying out and protects them from predators!