Barnacle

Barnacles are a type of arthropod constituting the subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacea, and are hence related to crabs and lobsters. Barnacles are exclusively marine, and tend to live in shallow and tidal waters, typically in erosive settings. Around 1,000 barnacle species are currently known.

Barnacle
Temporal range:
Chthamalus stellatus
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Thecostraca
Subclass: Cirripedia
Burmeister, 1834
Infraclasses
Synonyms
  • Thyrostraca
  • Cirrhopoda
  • Cirrhipoda
  • Cirrhipedia

They are sessile (nonmobile) and most are suspension feeders, but those in infraclass Rhizocephala are highly specialized parasites on other crustaceans. They have four nektonic (active swimming) larval stages.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.