Barnacles

Walking around tide pools without wearing shoes, you might say, “Ouch, ooh, ah, eeh, ouch,” if you walk on these thingies. These thingies are called Barnacles. They look like little miniature rock volcanoes. The plates that make up the “volcano” protect the animal inside. Yes, there is a living animal inside! The Barnacle animal rests on its back with its six feathery legs facing up into the water. Just like the California Mussels, Barnacles are hard at work purifying the ocean water. The feathery legs bring plankton, along with pieces of dead animals and plants, into the mouth of the barnacle. There are a few different kinds or species of barnacles here. The different barnacles lay eggs. Larvae come out of the eggs and swim around in the water. Then the larvae attach themselves onto something and grow the protective “volcano” plates. Sometimes, they will attach themselves onto a whale or a ship! When scientists are trying to identify whales that they are studying, they look at the pattern of barnacles living on the whale. Just like patches of color on a dog or cat, patches of barnacles on a fluke, or tail, can help identify that particular whale.


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