# Gooseneck Barnacle (*pollicipes polymerus*) The Gooseneck Barnacle is a unique sea creature that clings tightly to rocks in the ocean. Its long, flexible stalk allows it to reach up for food while staying securely attached! - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Coastal waters and rocky shorelines - **Also known as:** Pollicipes ![Gooseneck Barnacle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pollicipes_polymerus_3.jpg&width=800) Photo: Minette Layne, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pollicipes_polymerus_3.jpg) ## Appearance The Gooseneck Barnacle has a long, flexible, reddish-brown stalk, ending in a cluster of white, calcified plates. It often looks like a stony flower or a small, curved neck attached to rocks, with a distinctive dark 'goose neck' base, different from typical flat barnacles. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Maxillopoda - **Order:** Pedunculata - **Family:** Pollicipedidae - **Genus:** Pollicipes ## Interesting facts - Barnacles start life as tiny, free-swimming larvae before finding a spot to settle down! - Believe it or not, barnacles are closer relatives to crabs and lobsters than to clams! - Some people in coastal regions consider Gooseneck Barnacles a delicious seafood delicacy! - The glue a barnacle makes is one of the strongest natural adhesives known to science! ## Special abilities - **Super Glue Feet:** Gooseneck Barnacle can stick incredibly tightly to rocks because of a natural, super-strong cement it produces. - **Feathery Grabbers:** Gooseneck Barnacle has feathery legs that help them sweep tiny food from passing water currents into their mouth. - **Flexible Neck:** Gooseneck Barnacle has a rubbery stalk that helps them sway with strong ocean waves without breaking off. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 10 cm - **Weight:** 25 g - **Lifespan:** 15 years ## Diet & Feeding These barnacles filter tiny bits of food, like plankton, directly from the ocean water. - **Primary Foods:** phytoplankton, zooplankton, detritus - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Ochre Sea Star](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ochre-sea-star) (*Pisaster ochraceus*) — These sea stars use their suction cups to pull barnacles off rocks. - **Eaten by:** [Frilled Dogwinkle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/frilled-dogwinkle) (*Nucella lamellosa*) — This snail can drill into the barnacle's shell to eat the soft tissues. - **Eaten by:** [Black Oystercatcher](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-oystercatcher) (*Haematopus bachmani*) — These birds use their strong beaks to pry Gooseneck Barnacles off rocks. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Gooseneck Barnacle? Look for fins, arms, tentacles, shells and body symmetry. Underwater light shifts colors, so structure and markings usually matter more than shade. Sea Creature Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Gooseneck Barnacle? 10 cm ### How much does Gooseneck Barnacle weigh? 25 g ### How long does Gooseneck Barnacle live? 15 years ### What does Gooseneck Barnacle eat? These barnacles filter tiny bits of food, like plankton, directly from the ocean water. ### Where is Gooseneck Barnacle usually found? Coastal waters and rocky shorelines ### How does Gooseneck Barnacle hunt? Filter feeding ## Where to spot - [Birch Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/birch-aquarium-california) — California, US · Aquarium - [Bodega Bay](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bodega-bay) — US · Natural Landmark - [Fort MacArthur](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-macarthur) — California, US · Historic Site - [Birch Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/birch-aquarium) — California, US · Zoo - [Cabrillo Marine Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cabrillo-marine-aquarium) — California, US · Zoo - [Marineland of the Pacific](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marineland-of-the-pacific) — California, US · Aquarium [View all places to see Gooseneck Barnacle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/gooseneck-barnacle) ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Gooseneck Barnacle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gooseneck-barnacle)