Ecomare

Goose barnacles have a misleading name. They have nothing to do with geese. Just like acorn barnacles, goose barnacles are crustaceans. However, unlike acorn barnacles, goose barnacles stand on a stalk. They regularly stick out a 'dip-net' to fish food from the water. The dip-net is made up of transformed legs, similar to that of the acorn barnacle. Up till the 17th century, one thought that goose barnacles grew on trees and that they were larvae from barnacle geese. In fact, that's how the goose got its name! The stems of the barnacle in particular are a delicacy in southwestern Europe.