Whale-barnacle
Guides
Conchoderma
goose barnacles
Conchoderma is a genus of pedunculate barnacles (goose barnacles) in the family Lepadidae. Species in this genus are obligate epibionts, attaching to mobile marine hosts including whales, fish, sea snakes, and crustaceans. They possess a flexible stalk (peduncle) that anchors them to their host and a capitulum with calcareous plates enclosing the body. The genus includes notable species such as C. auritum, which associates with whales, and C. virgatum, which has been documented on diverse hosts including fish and copepods.