Once a month we will be sharing a marine species reported via the Fair Isle Marine WhatsApp group. This group is a space for community members and visitors to the isle to share any interesting marine finds. These reports also contribute to marine species records for Fair Isle to help monitor changes in biodiversity.
This month we have quite a large find – a pallet covered in Goose Barnacles (Lepas anatifera) found at Linni Geo by David Parnaby.
Goose barnacles are a pelagic species usually found in the Atlantic Ocean which attach to flotsam such as logs, wood, seaweed, plastic and various types of floating objects. However, they are often found washed up on shores on the west coast of Britain, far from their origin particularly after westerly gales.
They are characterised by have an outer shell (capitulum) made up of five large calcareous plates with a flexible appendage known as a peduncle which they use to attach to objects, as well as a brush-like tentacles which they use to filter feed.
Photo credit: David Parnaby
Pallet covered in goose barnacles