Crabs and Barnacles
Illustration of crabs and barnacles
Copyright John JoyceCrabs and Barnacles
Copyright John Joyce
Copyright John Joyce
Crabs and Barnacles
Illustration of crabs and barnacles
Copyright John Joyce
Upside down crabs
Barnacles, like many insects, belong to that vast group of animals, the phylum Arthropoda. Within this they are members of the same sub-phylum as crabs and lobsters. Indeed, a barnacle may be considered to be a crab that, instead of using its legs to run around and hunt for things to eat, has chosen the easier option of lying on its back and waving its legs in the water to trap passing morsels of food. To protect themselves, barnacles have developed external shells made of six calcareous plates and two moveable plates which protect the animal inside when it is not feeding.