The Seas/ Contents

Barnacles

Lai Hoi Chaw

Although barnacles look like molluscs because of their shell-like covering, they are in fact crustaceans. They are divided into two groups: non-stalked or 'acorn' barnacles, which are surrounded by plates, and stalked or 'goose' barnacles, which are attached to the end of a stalk. The hard, white, cone-like acorn barnacle predominates in Malaysia, attaching itself to rocks and any other hard surface that gets covered by water. Most species in Malaysia grow no more than a few millimetres tall and live in dense colonies primarily in the intertidal zone.

  • Information in the full article includes
  • Local species
  • Physical features
65_barnacles

Side view of an acorn barnacle showing the legs protruding from bettween the paltes.