What is a barnacle?
Q: What is a barnacle?
A: A barnacle is a kind of crustacean that lives stuck to hard surfaces.
Q: What does a barnacle look like?
A: A barnacle does not look like a typical crustacean, as it is covered with hard plates of calcium carbonate.
Q: What was the initial misconception about barnacles?
A: For many centuries, barnacles were thought to be a mollusc instead of a crustacean.
Q: Who discovered the larvae of barnacles?
A: J.V. Thompson discovered the larvae of barnacles in the 1830s.
Q: What is the typical larva of crustaceans?
A: Crustaceans typically have a nauplius larva, which barnacles also have.
Q: Who confirmed Thompson's discovery about barnacles?
A: Charles Darwin confirmed J.V. Thompson's discovery that barnacles are a kind of crustacean.
Q: Where do barnacles grow?
A: Barnacles grow on hard surfaces like piers, boats, rocks, and on other animals such as turtles and whales.