Bay Barnacle

At a glance

Bay Barnacle (Amphibalanus improvisus) is a barnacle present across the CatchRules coverage area but without species-specific bag, size, or season rules tracked in our regulatory dataset.

Confirmed by 373 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Maryland, New York, and Texas the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Exceptionally euryhaline, it can survive in water approaching nearly zero salinity.
• Native to Atlantic North America but now established on hard surfaces in ports worldwide.
• Typically less than 1 cm across, it is one of the smaller barnacles in estuarine communities.
• Dominates brackish bays and tidal rivers where most other barnacle species cannot survive.
• It feeds by extending feathery cirri to kick plankton and detritus into its mouth.

Where Bay Barnacle are seen

• Maryland76 iNat obs
• New York44 iNat obs
• Texas38 iNat obs
• Florida34 iNat obs
• New Jersey25 iNat obs
• California23 iNat obs

Background

Amphibalanus improvisus, the bay barnacle, is a species of acorn barnacle in the family Balanidae.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Bay Barnacle article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.