Wave-washed-habitat
Guides
Chthamalidae
Chthamalid Barnacles
Chthamalidae is a family of small, intertidal barnacles in the superfamily Chthamaloidea. The family includes at least 56 recognized species across 14 genera. Members are distinguished by a primary shell wall of eight, six, or four plates without imbricating whorls, and a membranous or rarely calcareous basis. They occupy the highest intertidal zones, often in wave-washed habitats where other barnacle families cannot survive. Molecular studies have revealed extensive cryptic diversity, with many species separable only by DNA analysis.