Barnacles Chesapeake Bay Field Guide
Barnacles
Chesapeake Bay Field Guide
Barnacles
Barnacles are small crustaceans that vary in color from gray to white.
* Barnacles are formed by six overlapping plates of shell with a flat base and an opening at the top.
* The top opening has two valves, or “trap doors,†that open and close for the barnacle to feed.
* Barnacles vary in size from less than half an inch to 1 inch in diameter.
What species of barnacles live in the Bay?
Four species of barnacles can be found in the Bay:
* The bay barnacle, Balanus improvisus
* The white barnacle, Balanus subalbidus
* The ivory barnacle, Balanus eburneus
* The little gray barnacle, Chthamalus fragilis
Where do barnacles live?
Barnacles are found on rocks, jetties, pilings, grasses, boat bottoms and other hard surfaces from the salty mouth of the Bay to nearly fresh water.
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