Northern Acorn Barnacle
Semibalanus balanoides
Barnacles glue themselves head-down to rocks using a natural cement so powerful that scientists still struggle to replicate its strength.
- Scientific name
- Semibalanus balanoides
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Hexanauplia › Balanomorpha › Balanidae › Semibalanus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- aquatic
- Habitat
- Rocky intertidal zones of cold temperate and polar seas.
- Diet
- Plankton and organic detritus filtered from seawater.
- Range
- North Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, Arctic Ocean, Pacific Coast of North America
- Size
- Up to 15 mm in diameter
- Lifespan
- 3-6 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Ocean acidification, rising sea surface temperatures, and coastal development.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless, but their calcium carbonate shells are razor-sharp. Wear thick-soled water shoes when walking on rocky shores to avoid painful cuts. If scratched, wash the wound thoroughly with clean water and apply antiseptic to prevent marine bacterial infection.
Semibalanus balanoides is a common and widespread boreo-arctic species of acorn barnacle. It is common on rocks and other substrates in the intertidal zone of north-western Europe and both coasts of North America.
Photo: hitchco, CC0, via iNaturalist
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