| Habitat and Appearance
Acorn barnacles are crustaceans but are commonly confused to be molluscs. Their closest living relatives are the lobsters, shrimps and prawns. These creatures are usually found growing on rocks on the seashore in low tides. The shell of the barnacle resists the oceans wave and controls the body temperature, so that the animal does not dry out. Transportation  OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA These creatures feed by using their antennae which have sticky ends. They feed on plankton which they sweep from the water using their feet. Their feet are the mechanism by which they filter food when underwater. Reproduction Barnacles are hermaphrodites; they have both male and female reproductive organs. Their reproductive organs at times are bigger then their body size by ten times. They cluster together in order to fertilize the females. They may also reproduce clones of themselves. Eating Habits Acorn barnacles filter zooplankton. They eat fine organic particles and plankton. Longevity 3-5 years reference: http://www.fathom.com/fks/catalog/feature.jhtml?story_id=121900&featurePageNumber=2 |
Mehvish Mehrani PC 2002