wart barnacle

Wart barnacles, also known as verrucomorphs, are a type of sessile marine crustacean belonging to the subclass Cirripedia. Unlike acorn barnacles, they have asymmetrical shells. While some verrucomorphs inhabit shallow seas, modern species are primarily found in the deep sea, with some living at depths exceeding 4,000 meters.1

Barnacles, in general, are sedentary crustaceans that attach themselves to surfaces like rocks or ships' hulls. They filter food particles from the water using feathery appendages called cirri. Most barnacles are hermaphrodites, possessing both male and female reproductive organs, and typically cross-fertilize. Their life cycle includes free-swimming larval stages, nauplii and cyprids, before they settle and metamorphose into adults. Some barnacles form symbiotic relationships with larger animals like whales. Barnacles can cause fouling on ships and marine structures, increasing drag and weight.234567