• Norwegian: rankeføttinger

Characteristics:

Some barnacles are parasitic, in contrast to the free-living species. The parasites have a unsegmented body with no carapace or legs. Common to the free-living barnacles are that they are sessile, i.e. they are attached to some surface by their first pair of antennas. They actually sit on their heads. They are protected by a shell or carapace, with an opening where they stretch out for food.

Taxonomy:

All barnacles are marine species. Most familiar species, so typical of rocky locations, are members of the superorder Thoracica.