''Balanus'' is a genus of

barnacle A barnacle is a type of arthropod constituting the subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacea, and is hence related to crabs and lobsters. Barnacles are exclusively marine, and tend to live in shallow and tidal waters, typically in eros ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Balanidae The Balanidae comprise a family of barnacles of the order Balanomorpha. As a result of research published in 2021 by Chan et al., the members of the family Archaeobalanidae were merged with this family. Genera These genera belong to the family B ...

of the subphylum

Crustacea Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean gro ...

This genus is known in the fossil record from the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

to the

Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ...

periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells within this genus have been found all over the world.Fossilworks
/ref>

Description

The bodies of these organisms are totally enclosed by a stony gray-whitish shell. The size of these shells ranges from 5 millimeters to 10 centimeters. They take the form of a cone consisting of six plates fixed on the rocks. The active animal can only be observed within the water when the shell opens and the barnacles expose two branched appendages (

cirri Giovanni Battista Cirri (1 October 1724 – 11 June 1808) was an Italian cellist and composer in the 18th century. Biography Cirri was born in Forlì in the Emilia-Romagna Region of Italy. He had his first musical training with his brother ...

) regularly hitting the water to catch food. They mainly feed on

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) that are unable to propel themselves against a Ocean current, current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankt ...

Habitat

These barnacles can be found in coastal areas at low shallow depth, although they can also be seen living out of the water. They commonly colonize stones, rocks and shells. They are found in abundance on the shells of

mussels Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,0 ...

Species

Species within the genus ''Balanus'' include: *'' Balanus balanus'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...

) *''

Balanus bloxhamensis ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Weisbord, 1966 *'' Balanus borsodensis'' Kolosváry, 1952 *'' Balanus calidus'' Pilsbry, 1916 *'' Balanus campbelli'' Filhol, 1886 *'' Balanus chisletianus'' Sowerby, 1859 *'' Balanus citerosum'' Henry, 1973 *''

Balanus connelli ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Cornwall, 1927 *'' Balanus crenatus'' Bruguiére, 1789 *''

Balanus curvirostratus ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Menesini, 1968 *''

Balanus darwinii ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Seguenza, 1876 *''

Balanus ecuadoricus ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Pilsbry & Olson, 1951 *''

Balanus flosculoidus ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Kolosváry, 1941 *''

Balanus gizellae ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Kolosváry, 1967 *''

Balanus glandula ''Balanus glandula'' (North American Acorn Barnacle, Common Acorn Barnacle) is one of the most common barnacle species on the Pacific coast of North America, distributed from the U.S. state of Alaska to Bahía de San Quintín near San Quintín, ...

'' Darwin, 1854 (Common Acorn Barnacle) *''

Balanus hohmanni ''Balanus'' is a genus of barnacles in the family Balanidae of the subphylum Crustacea. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic to the Quaternary periods (age range: from 189.6 to 0.0 million years ago.). Fossil shells withi ...

'' Philippi, 1887 *†'' Balanus humilis'' Conrad, 1846 (extinct) *†'' Balanus imitator'' Zullo, 1984 (extinct) *'' Balanus irradians'' Zullo & Guruswami-Naidu, 1982 *'' Balanus irregularis'' Broch, 1931 *'' Balanus kanakoffi'' Zullo, 1969 *'' Balanus kondakovi'' Tarasov & Zevina, 1957 *'' Balanus laevis'' Bruguiere, 1789 *'' Balanus laguairensis'' Weisbord, 1966 *'' Balanus leonensis'' Weisbord, 1966 *'' Balanus microstomus'' Philippi, 1887 *'' Balanus minutus'' Hoek, 1913 *'' Balanus mirabilis'' Krüger, 1912 *'' Balanus newburnensis'' Weisbord, 1966 *'' Balanus nubilus'' Darwin, 1854 (Giant acorn barnacle) *'' Balanus ochlockoneensis'' Weisbord, 1966 *'' Balanus pannonicus'' Kolosváry, 1952 *'' Balanus parkeri'' Zullo, 1967 *''

Balanus perforatus ''Balanus perforatus'' is a species of barnacle in the family Balanidae. It is found on the lower shore and in the neritic zone in the warm temperate parts of the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Description ''Balanus perforatus'' is a large barnacle wh ...

'' Bruguiére, 1789 *'' Balanus poecilus'' Darwin, 1854 *'' Balanus polyporus'' Pilbry, 1924 *'' Balanus provisoricus'' Kolosváry, 1961 *'' Balanus pulchellus'' Ren, 1989 *'' Balanus rhizophorae'' Ren & Liu, 1978 *'' Balanus rostratus'' Hoek, 1883 (Minefujitsubo)Scientific Name ／ Balanus rostratus Hoek,1883
/ref> (Japanese acorn barnacle) *'' Balanus sauntonensis'' Parfitt, 1871 *'' Balanus similis'' Weltner, 1922 *'' Balanus spongicola'' Brown, 1844 *'' Balanus subalbidus'' Henry, 1974 *'' Balanus tamiamiensis'' Ross, 1964 *'' Balanus trigonus'' Darwin, 1854 *'' Balanus tuboperforatus'' Kolosváry, 1962 *'' Balanus tumorifer'' Kolosváry, 1962 *'' Balanus uliginosis'' Henry, 1973 *'' Balanus vadaszi'' Kolosváry, 1949 *'' Balanus veneticensis'' Seguenza, 1876 *'' Balanus withersi'' Pilsbry, 1930 The species ''

Balanus balanoides ''Semibalanus balanoides'' (common barnacle, common rock barnacle, northern rock barnacle) is a common and widespread boreo-arctic species of acorn barnacle. It is common on rocks and other substrates in the intertidal zone of north-western E ...

'' (common barnacle, common rock barnacle, northern rock barnacle) has been reclassified as '' Semibalanus balanoides'' in the family Archaeobalanidae, due to its

membranous A membrane is a selective barrier; it allows some things to pass through but stops others. Such things may be molecules, ions, or other small particles. Membranes can be generally classified into synthetic membranes and biological membranes. ...

base.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2336729 Barnacles Pliensbachian first appearances Extant Early Jurassic first appearances Taxa named by Emanuel Mendes da Costa