Common Name: Goose Barnacle

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Circumtropical distribution, found in all the worlds oceans.

Ecological Notes: Pelagic species most often found attached to a wide range of floating objects, less commonly to seaweeds, sea snakes, turtles and other swimming creatures.

Additional Notes: Greyish brown in colour with two or three darker longitudinal streaks. It attaches to objects by a peduncle, which makes up about half of the total length. A filter feeder it has a number of modified legs or “cirri”, feathery appendages which are extended rhythmically into the water column to collect floating organisms upon which it feeds. Grows to about 70 mm in total length.

References: Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=conchoderma+virgatum. Accessed 26/06/2019.

Palomares, M.L.D. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. SeaLifeBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.sealifebase.org, version (06/2018). https://www.sealifebase.ca/summary/Conchoderma-virgatum.html. Accessed 26/06/2019.