Barnacle facts: You may want to avert your eyes… | Animal Fact Files
Barnacles look like they might be related to clams, but they’re actually arthropods and more closely related to lobsters and crabs. While barnacles maintain their outer shell for protection, just like other arthropods they shed their exoskeleton periodically. Their shells, however, are simply added too. Barnacles produce a cement-like substance that holds them fast to whatever surface they decide to adhere to as a larva. Once settled, a barnacle is attached to it’s place for life. They attach head-first.
Scientific Name: Infraclass – Cirripedia*
*this episode specifically focuses on Superorder: Thoracica
Range: marine waters worldwide
Size: less than an inch (2.54cm) to more than 4 inches (10cm) in length
Diet: planktonic particles
Lifespan: 30+ years in larger species
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