Balanus glandula
Related to crabs and lobsters, Acorn Barnacles are white and
volcano shaped. Instead of crawling after food, barnacles glue
themselves to abalone, rocks and ships to wait for food.
When they are underwater, Acorn Barnacles use their feathery
barbed legs to absorb oxygen and strain plankton. Capable of
surviving harsh conditions, barnacles avoid competition for
space with numerous other organisms that are less tolerant to
exposure. They usually live in crowded colonies clumped
tightly together. The inner hinged plates tightly seal off the
barnacle when they are exposed at low tide. Most barnacles are
hermaphrodites and have sexual organs that are twice as long as
their body.
Habitat/Range: Acorn Barnacles live on exposed rocky shoreline
areas from the Aleutian Islands to Baja California.