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What the sources say

Goose BarnacleLepas anatifera

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Goose Barnacle profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 49 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Lepas anatifera (duck barnacle). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysA crustacean that glues itself to driftwood, buoys and turtles and rides them across the open ocean.
The source saysis a pelagic barnacle that can be found attached to a variety of floating objects, including driftwood, bottles, boats, buoys, macroalgal rafts, and turtlesNote: tagline; crustacean from jonker-2015 (only sessile crustaceans)
The page saysOpen ocean in most tropical and temperate seas, attached to floating objects
The source saysis a cosmopolitan barnacle, inhabiting most tropical and temperate seas throughout the worldNote: stats.habitat
The page saysOpen ocean in most tropical and temperate seas, attached to floating objects
The source saysis a pelagic barnacle that can be found attached to a variety of floating objectsNote: stats.habitat
The page saysFood filtered from the water, plus shrimp, polyps and young flying fish caught with its cirri
The source saysis predatory, capturing prey (shrimp, polyps, young flying fish) with the cirri. Goose barnacles also filter currentsNote: stats.diet
The page saysA goose barnacle does not move unless it is torn from that surface.
The source saysGoose barnacles are sessile; they do not move unless they are torn from their current substrate.
The page saysLepas anatifera is a pelagic barnacle
The source saysLepas anatifera is a pelagic barnacle
The page sayspelagic means open ocean
The source saysAn aquatic biome consisting of the open ocean, far from landNote: ADW glossary definition of pelagic
The page saysIt can be found attached to driftwood, bottles, boats, buoys, macroalgal rafts, and turtles.
The source saysis a pelagic barnacle that can be found attached to a variety of floating objects, including driftwood, bottles, boats, buoys, macroalgal rafts, and turtles
The page saysIt lives in most tropical and temperate seas around the world
The source saysis a cosmopolitan barnacle, inhabiting most tropical and temperate seas throughout the world
The page saysmost abundant where the water is warmer than 18 to 20 degrees Celsius
The source saysThis species is most abundant in tropical and subtropical waters where sea temperatures exceed 18-20 ºC.Note: exceed = warmer than
The page saysIts heart-shaped shell, the capitulum, can grow up to 5 cm long.
The source saysits heart-shaped bivalve shell, called a capitulum, that can grow up to 5 cm in length
The page saysThe barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) was once thought to start life as a goose barnacle because no one had ever seen its nest.
The source saysThe barnacle goose ( Branta leucopsis ) was once thought to start life as a goose barnacle ( Lepas anatifera ) because no one had ever seen its nest.
The page saysThe barnacle feeds with frills on its limbs called cirri
The source saysBarnacles feed by using tentacular frills on their limbs called cirri.
The page sayswhich it pushes out from between its shell plates
The source saysThe legs and cirri are extended from between the valves of the captiulum.
The page saysIt filters currents, but it is also predatory, capturing prey (shrimp, polyps, young flying fish) with the cirri.
The source saysis predatory, capturing prey (shrimp, polyps, young flying fish) with the cirri. Goose barnacles also filter currents
The page saysAdults are protected by a shell but may still be eaten by gastropods, starfish and crabs.
The source saysAdult Lepas anatifera are protected by an outer shell, but still may be preyed on by gastropods, starfish, crabs, and others.
The page saysFiona pinnata, a pelagic sea slug, is a known predator.
The source saysFiona pinnata , a pelagic sea slug, is a known predator of Lepas anatifera
The page saysThe sea slug uses its jaws to grasp the barnacle near the junction of the stalk and shell, and then uses its radula, a tongue studded with tiny teeth, to rasp. The barnacle soon gapes open, allowing the sea slug to consume the prey.
The source saysThe sea slug uses its jaws to grasp the barnacle near the junction of the stalk and shell, and then uses its radula to rasp. The barnacle soon gapes open, allowing the sea slug to consume the prey.Note: radula glossed with its general definition
The page saysEach barnacle is a hermaphrodite, yet it still needs a partner.
The source saysLepas anatifera is hermaphroditic and individuals cross fertilize via a copulatory organ
The page saysThe young hatch as free-swimming larvae that go through six stages
The source sayshatch into free swimming larvae that undergo six specialized naupliar stages
The page saysand then turn into a cyprid, a non-feeding stage that drifts until it finds something to settle on
The source saysThe larvae then transforms into a cyprid, which is a non-feeding search and settlement stage. The cyprid larvae drift along the ocean currents until it identifies and attaches to a substratum.
The page saysNot Evaluated
The source saysIUCN Red List Not EvaluatedNote: stats.conservationStatus only, not stated in body or FAQs; GBIF's copy of the Red List has no assessment for Lepas anatifera and Crossref has no assessment DOI (prefetch, 2026-10-11)
The page saysPeople once believed the barnacle goose began life as one of these barnacles, because nobody had ever found the bird's nest.
The source sayswas once thought to start life as a goose barnacle ( Lepas anatifera ) because no one had ever seen its nestNote: FAQ 1
The page saysIts shell, the capitulum, tops out at 5 cm, which is 50 mm.
The source saysits heart-shaped bivalve shell, called a capitulum, that can grow up to 5 cm in lengthNote: FAQ 2
The page saysAlmost anything that floats: driftwood, bottles, boats, buoys, rafts of seaweed and turtles.
The source sayscan be found attached to a variety of floating objects, including driftwood, bottles, boats, buoys, macroalgal rafts, and turtlesNote: FAQ 3; 'almost anything that floats' paraphrases 'a variety of floating objects'
The page saysIt also turns up on fixed objects such as rocks and offshore structures.
The source saysIt can also be found on fixed objects such as rocks and off-shore structures.Note: FAQ 3
The page sayswhich is 50 mm
The source saysRange length 50 (high) mmNote: FAQ 2; 5 cm = 50 mm, and ADW's own range length agrees
The page saysIt glues itself to driftwood, buoys and turtles
The source saysis a pelagic barnacle that can be found attached to a variety of floating objects, including driftwood, bottles, boats, buoys, macroalgal rafts, and turtlesNote: vibe.reason, same quote as the body
The page saysrides them across the open ocean
The source saysAn aquatic biome consisting of the open ocean, far from landNote: vibe.reason, same quote as the body

Source
02

Jonker et al. 2012

Jonker et al. (2012). Unusual adhesive production system in the barnacle Lepas anatifera: An ultrastructural and histochemical investigation. Journal of Morphology.

The page saysMakes a glue whose molecular adhesion differs from every other permanently gluing marine animal studied to date
The source saysthe molecular adhesion of barnacles differs from all other permanently gluing marine animals studied to dateNote: stats.superpower
The page saysIt makes its glue in large single-cell glands, each 70 to 180 micrometres across.
The source saysAll components for the glue originated from large single-cell glands (70-180 μm).
The page saysStaining tests found that two chemicals, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and phosphoserine, are missing from the glue-making tissue.
The source saysStaining (including immunostaining) showed that L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and phosphoserine were not present in the glue producing tissues
The page saysThat showed barnacle glue works differently from that of every other permanently gluing marine animal studied to date.
The source saysdemonstrating that the molecular adhesion of barnacles differs from all other permanently gluing marine animals studied to date
The page saysthe mechanisms that keep the glue liquid inside the body, and turn it into hard cement, appear to be unknown
The source saysthe barnacle adhesive system appears to utilize completely different and unknown mechanisms for maintaining the liquid state of the glue within the body, as well as unidentified mechanisms for the conversion of extruded glue into hard cement
The page saysTwo chemicals, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and phosphoserine, did not show up in the tissue that makes it.
The source saysL-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and phosphoserine were not present in the glue producing tissuesNote: FAQ 4
The page saysThat result showed barnacles stick at the molecular level in a different way from all other permanently gluing marine animals studied to date.
The source saysdemonstrating that the molecular adhesion of barnacles differs from all other permanently gluing marine animals studied to dateNote: FAQ 4

Source
03

Jonker et al. 2015

Jonker et al. (2015). The chemistry of stalked barnacle adhesive (Lepas anatifera). Interface Focus.

The page saysBarnacles are the only sessile crustaceans: they glue the base of their bodies to a surface.
The source saysBarnacles are the only sessile crustaceans; they glue the base of their bodies to a variety of materials
The page saysThis barnacle is also attached by a membranous base, while the other species examined before it have chalky baseplates.
The source saysLepas anatifera is adhered to the substratum via a membranous base, whereas the other species examined previously possess calcareous baseplates.
The page saysA crustacean
The source saysBarnacles are the only sessile crustaceansNote: tagline

Source
04

Domínguez-Pérez et al. 2021

Domínguez-Pérez et al. (2021). Proteogenomic Characterization of the Cement and Adhesive Gland of the Pelagic Gooseneck Barnacle Lepas anatifera. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

The page saysCross-fertilization is required, so the barnacles cluster in turfs close enough to mate.
The source saysThey need to cluster in turfs close enough to mate to conspecifics, since despite being hermaphroditic, require cross-fertilizationNote: the source's own 'since' carries the 'so'

Source
05

Howard & Scott 1959

Howard & Scott (1959). Predaceous Feeding in Two Common Gooseneck Barnacles. Science.

The page saysA 1959 study of this species and one other gooseneck barnacle found both to be relatively unselective omnivores that at times behave like predatory carnivores
The source saysLepas anatifera and Mitella polymerus, while relatively unselective omnivores, behave at times like predatory macrophagous carnivores.Note: 1959 is the paper's year (Science 129:717); the two species are Lepas anatifera and Mitella polymerus, so the sentence names both
The page saysWhen large prey was available, the barnacles caught and handled it well
The source saysObservations suggest a greater range of food size for gooseneck barnacles than is generally suspected and clearly indicate that large organisms, when available, are effectively captured and handled

Source
06

Stelfox et al. 2020

Stelfox et al. (2020). Minimum drift times infer trajectories of ghost nets found in the Maldives. Marine Pollution Bulletin.

The page saysThat size works as a clock. Researchers in the Maldives used the capitulum length of these barnacles, along with how much of a net was covered in growth, to estimate the minimum time eight ghost nets (lost fishing nets) had drifted
The source saysThis study explores methods to estimate minimum drift times of ghost nets found in the Maldives with the aim of identifying a putative origin. We highlight that percentage cover of biofouling organisms and capitulum length of Lepas anatifera are two methods that provide these estimates.Note: ghost nets = abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (abstract's last sentence)
The page sayseight ghost nets (lost fishing nets) had drifted: between 7.5 and 101 days
The source saysEight ghost nets were collected in the Maldives and estimated drift times ranged between 7.5 and 101 days.

Source
07

Mello et al. 2023

Mello et al. (2023). Tarballs on the Brazilian coast in late 2022 sustain Lepas anatifera Linnaeus, 1758 (Crustacea: Cirripedia): Occurrence and risk of petroleum hydrocarbon ingestion. Science of The Total Environment.

The page saysBarnacles on tarballs from Brazilian beaches measured 0.122 to 2.20 cm, which suggested the tarballs had been floating for at least a month.
The source saysThe size of the barnacles varied from 0.122 to 2.20 cm, suggesting that the tarballs had been floating in the ocean for at least a month.
The page saystarballs from Brazilian beaches
The source saystarballs sampled from beaches in the Brazilian states of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte

Source
08

Mghili et al. 2022

Mghili et al. (2022). Marine macroinvertebrates fouled in marine anthropogenic litter in the Moroccan Mediterranean. Marine Pollution Bulletin.

The page saysOn litter stranded on two Moroccan Mediterranean beaches, almost all of it plastic
The source saysRafting vectors were almost exclusively made up of plastics
The page saysOn litter stranded on two Moroccan Mediterranean beaches
The source sayswe examined the fouling organisms on different types of litter stranded on two beaches of the Moroccan Mediterranean
The page saysit was one of the most common fouling species
The source saysThe most common fouling species were the crustacean Lepas pectinata, Lepas anatifera, Perforatus perforatus, and bryozoan species.

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.