Barnacles

Barnacles

Barnacles are the strangest of crustaceans. Imagine a tiny shrimp glued down by the top of its head, with its antennae waving in the current, and you begin to understand what a barnacle really is.

Northern Rock Barnacles ( Balanus balanoides, to 1" ) grow in the intertidal zone, subtidal in places, attached to any hard surface. They are in constant competition for living space with mussels. Mussels grow faster but are more susceptible to drying out. Therefore, mussels quickly take over the lower wetter areas, while barnacles rule in the higher dryer reaches.

Barnacle anatomy
Compare with Sea Anemone
Northern Rock Barnacles
Northern Rock Barnacles
Ivory Barnacles
Ivory Barnacles Balanus eburneus
Gooseneck Barnacles

Gooseneck Barnacles are far less common - you might find them attached to the bottom of the dive boat towards the end of the season when the bottom paint is losing its potency. They are usually found on drifting flotsam offshore, or in deep water on the bottom.

Unlike typical "acorn" barnacles, Gooseneck Barnacles have a fleshy stalk by which they attach themselves. Several species range in size from 1" to 6". They are actually rather attractive creatures in life, often with purple or orange highlights.

Herb Segars Photography

Editor's Note:

The New Jersey fishing community owes a world of gratitude to Bill Figley for his tireless service on behalf of recreational angling in the state. Considered the patriarch of the artificial reef program, his model of excellence created over two decades in New Jersey has since been emulated by other states along the East Coast.

Bill Figley

Fisherman Profile by Jim Munroe

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