Barnacle (Giant)

About the Barnacle (Giant)

Not mollusks but crustaceans that cement themselves headfirst to rocks, boats, and whales. They have the longest penis relative to body size of any animal - up to 8x their body length - necessary because they cannot move to mate. Darwin spent 8 years studying barnacles. Over 1,400 species exist. Some species are parasites that live inside other crabs. Goose barnacles were once believed to grow into barnacle geese. They can live 10+ years. They filter feed using modified legs called cirri. They fouling ships, increasing fuel consumption by 40%.