#acorn barnacles

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Common Acorn Barnacles on Call

Semibalanus balanoides, more commonly known as the common acorn barnacle or the northern acorn barnacle, is a widespread species of barnacle found all along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America and the intertidal zone of Europe-- though it is notably absent from the Bay of Biscay. Its range is limited by the temperature of the water in which it breeds; in the winter, they require water as cold as 7.2 °C (45.0 °F), but throughout the rest of the year they can tolerate much warmer climates.

Like many barnacle species, S. balanoides is hermaphroditic, meaning it has both male and female reproductive organs. Once the water reaches the optimal temperature, typically in November or December, the barnacles begin to breed. An individual will reach out with a penis that can be up to 7.5 centimetres (3.0 in), and inseminate a nearby barnacle; this process may be repeated up to eight times between a single pair. After insemination, the penis disintegrates to be regrown the following year.

In the meantime, the fertilized barnacle will produce up to 10,000 eggs that are stored in a special sac within the shell cavity. The common acorn barnacle releases its eggs between February and April, in concert with warming waters and the spring algal bloom. The eggs then hatch into miniscule larvae, which spend several weeks feeding on plankton in the water column and going through a series of molts. Following the sixth molt, the larvae stops feeding and seeks out a suitable place on which to anchor itself. Once it has found a surface, the larval barnacle 'crawls' along the surface until it encounters one of its own species. At this point, they will attach themselves with a cement-like glue which is capable of supporting up to 3,200 kg (7,000 lbs) Here, a single northern acorn barnacle may live anywhere from one to seven years.

Adult S. balanoides are identified by the white, six-sided limestone casing with which they protect themselves. However, one unique feature of this species is the way in which they attach themselves to their chosen surfaces; unlike other barnacles, which have a hard calcified shell base, the northern acorn barnacle has a membranous base. Within their shells, they have rather soft bodies, including a set of feathered appendages called cirri with which they use to breathe and collect food.

The common acorn barnacle is a filter feeder, consuming microscopic plankton and bits of detritus from the water column. Though their hard shells deter most predators, adults are vulnerable to other predatory invertebrates like dogwelks, nudibranches, and sea stars, as well as fish like the shanny that are specialist feeders of barnacles.

Conservation status: The common acorn barnacle has not been assessed by the IUCN. The species is extremely common and very resilient, and in fact has been in existence since the Jurassic period. However, rising ocean temperatures may negatively affect their breeding period.

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Photos

Neil DeMaster

Oregon State Parks and Recreation

Kim Hanson via Wikimedia commons

[antiqueanimals]

The Seashore. Written by Jennifer Cochran. Illustrated by Kenneth Lilly, Patricia Mynott, James Nicholls, and George Thompson . 1973.

Internet Archive

A.) Calanus finmarchicus

B.) Larva of the shrimp Crangon crangon

C.) Larva of the barnacle Semibalanus balanoides

D. + E.) Different stages of the growth of Carcinus maenas

F.) One of the stages of Pisidia longicornis

G.) Eurydice pulchra

H.) Larva of Clytia Johnstoni

[oooklathemok]

oooklathemok

[graveyardrabbit]

[batt00ny]

INTRODUCING THE PLAYGROUND BRACKET!

We still have time between polls waiting for results, so to keep the blog active & tensions high, I have two sort of smaller ones before I get to the big cog employee bracket!!! [won't include managers of course, and also not bosses, they'll get their own small bracket :3]

Here are the match ups!

Match 1: Acorn Acres vs. Drowsy Dreamland [7/8] Match 2: Barnacle Boatyard vs. Ye Olde Toontowne [7/9] Match 3: Mezzo Melodyland vs. Daffodil Gardens [7/13] Match 4: The Brrrgh vs. Toontown Central [7/17]

May the best playground win!!!

[bethanythebogwitch]

We’re getting French in this entry in my series where I cover the origins of every aquatic Pokémon not based on a fish because its gen VI time! For previous entries in this series see gen I part 1, gen I part 2, gen II, gen III, gen IV, and gen V. For the previous series where I cover all the fish Pokémon, see here. As before, starters and legendaries/mythicals will be saved for their own posts.

We only just started and I want to stop because it’s the Binacle line. By Arceus these things are hideous. That kind of fits though, because they’re based on goose barnacles, which aren’t exactly lookers themselves. I previously discussed barnacles here, but in short, they are filter-feeding crustaceans that incase themselves in hard shells that they will stay in for life. Goose barnacles differ from the more common acorn barnacles because they attach to rocks or other hard surfaces via a thick, muscular stalk.

(image: goose barnacles)

Binacle’s shell is expanded to look like a hand with the face in it. Because two binnacle live together on the same rock they seem to be a case of intraspecific symbiosis, as opposed to the more common intraspecific symbiosis. Barbaracle is seven barnacles living together on two rocks, where they now take a humanoid shape. It retains the goose barnacle inspiration but now I think it also takes inspiration from mecha stories where multiple smaller mechs can combine into a larger one, such as in Voltron. In addition, the non-head barnacles are reduced to a single hand with an eye in the palm, which could reference the hamsa, a common symbol in North Africa and the Middle East.

(image: a hamsa)

Clauncher and Clawitzer are based on pistol shrimp. These shrimp, members of the family Alpheidae, are known for their asymmetrical claws which they can use to create jets of water and a large snapping sound. The large claw has a chamber within it. When the claw is opened, water will rush into the chamber. The claw can then be snapped shut to pressurize the water enough to create a cavitation bubble and a light emission called sonoluminescence. The pressure forces the water out of the chamber with enough speed and pressure to kill small fish. The whole process takes less than a millisecond and produces a loud snapping sound. The shrimp use the snapping for communication and hunting. They will wait for fish to swim close, then shoot water at them to stun or kill them. Clauncher’s method of powering its water jets is different. It uses controlled release of internal gas. In addition, it uses the water jets to move around and hunt. It is said to shoot flying Pokémon out of the air with its water jets, probably a reference to how the archerfish will knock insects out of the air by spitting water at them. In both the real shrimp and the Pokémon, the claws will grow back if severed. There’s a lot more cool stuff about pistol shrimp I could go over but they aren’t really relevant to Clauncher and I think I’ll save hem for a future Wet Beast Wednesday post.

(image: a pistol shrimp)

I debated whether or not I should count the Goomy line as aquatic or not but I decided I will because it lives in swamps and will die if it dries out, so I will. Also I just can’t say no to Goomy. The line are based on slugs and a French legendary creature called Lou Carcolh that was said to be a slimy serpent or dragon with hairy tentacles and a large shell.

(image: a depiction of Lou Carcolh from the blog A Book of Creatures. Check it out, its cool)

Lou Carcolh was a malevolent creature that would grab people with its tentacles and drag them in to devour them. This line is much friendlier. They are likely a combination of land and sea slugs, likely nudibranchs due to their bright coloration. The horns they have are based on the eye stalks of the land slug and the tentacle-like rhinopores of the sea slug.

(image: a blue sea slug)

Like slugs, they are covered with a layer of slime that keeps them wet. Slugs must stay wet to survive and therefore prefers wetlands or shady areas, much like Goomy. Sliggoo is based on a semi-slug, which are intermediate gastropods between snails and slugs. They still have a shell, but it is too small for them to retract into it and in many species it is covered by the mantle, effectively making it an internal shell.

(image: a semi-slug)

In contrast to their modern counterparts, Hisuian Sliggoo and Goodra are snails. Their shells are metallic and come from living in mineral-rich waters. They are specifically based on the scaly-foot gastropod, which is a deep-sea snail which has a shell and part of its foot made of iron sulfides.

(image: the scaly-foot gastropod)

They are also likely based on shussebora, a yokai that is a trumpet shell snail that turned into a dragon after living for 1000 years each in the mountains, plains, and sea.

If you asked me if the Bergmite line was aquatic I would have said no. There is nothing in their descriptions or locations in the game that would imply they live in water. That is until Scarlet and Violet let them swim. It makes some sense, as they are based on icebergs, but it’s still a curveball after 3 generations of them living on mountains or in icy caves. But yeah, they’re icebergs, large chunks of ice that float freely in the water. Bergmite is based more specifically on the top part of the iceberg, which is much smaller than the part that remains underwater. Avalugg is based more on the submerged part of the iceberg. It is also based on a tortoise. It being compared to an aircraft carrier might reference Project Habakkuk, a plan in World War II to make an aircraft carrier out of pykrete, a combination of wood pulp and ice that is resistant to melting. They never actually did it, though.

(image: an iceberg. No I'm not using the famous iceberg picture)

With that, gen VI comes to a close. Join me next time when we head to the tropics for gen VII.

[vintagewildlife]

Acorn barnacles, A: Megabalanus tintinnabulum and B: Balanus sp. By: Unknown photographer From: Natural History of Marine Animals 1949

[octowoman2419]

bay barnacles

a drawing of the tangotronic and rosaline/his dance partner at the beach together with the tangotronic showing rosaline a small shell with bay barnacles stuck onto it (idk if the image quality lets you see them but here is a close up on what he’s holding (trypophobia warning btw!!!))

i got this idea after i recently visited clearwater beach in tampa bay and saw shells with these weird sphere things on them (images below). i then found out they’re called barnacles, specifically the ones in the images are apparently what people call bay barnacles.

⚠️trypophobia warning!⚠️

[watchtowersbane]

random text post to make tags

(I’ll eventually start posting the quests hopefully. this will take a while!)

[montereybayaquarium]

Let’s get cirri-ous: an acorn barnacle’s feathery phalanges are foolproof for filtering a feast from fast flows! These captivating crustaceans do a little headstand when they’re but wee plankton settling down, cementing their noggins to the seafloor before forming a shell around them. By flapping their feet in the current, those tiny toe hairs, called cirri, trap detritus and plankton as they pass by. Once a snack is secured, the barnacle pulls its legs inside, scrapes off its filtered fare and voila! Dinner is served!

[bogleech]

Hey bog, do you know anything about Rabbit eared barnacles (Conchoderma auritum)? They're included on a poster I've had since I was like 8 that gives a basic run down of the major arthropod groups, but basically everything on there is pretty well known except for the rabbit eared barnacle (whose label being swapped with the good barnacle caused me years of confusion) and I'm curious what their deal is, because they look like multiple individuals sharing a shell?

They're soft squishy stalked barnacles that evolved to grow almost solely on other, hard-shelled barnacles!

They especially tend to grow on whale barnacles, the acorn barnacles that specially adapted to attach to whale skin. It's actually very difficult for most barnacles to do this, so the rabbit eared barnacle is cheating by letting the whale barnacle build the foundation it lives on. They don't harm one another, but it is possible that sometimes the rabbit barnacles overcrowd and smother their neighbors.

[glitziinova]

General Toon headcanons

I suddenly remembered that I made these

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

🥧Baby and child toons are scared of skelecogs. They see one and immediately start busting out crying

🥧 Toons born/raised in certain playgrounds have perks

🐾Toontown Central - Jack of trades, better at making friends and building relationships with others

🐾Barnacle Boatyard - Better swimmers and fishers

🐾Ye Olde Toontowne - Witches or other magic-related skills; like alchemy. Also, they prefer to make things by hand, very handy toons

🐾Daffodil Gardens - Gardeners, green thumbs, but also bug hunters and collectors

🐾Mezzo Melodyland - Musically inclined toons, they have sharper ears than most toons. Also artists like painters, sculpture, tailors misc

🐾The Brrrgh - Have better resistance to the cold. Has thicker fur.

🐾Acorn Acres - Certified tree climbers and foragers. Tree climbing-related activities are very common

🐾 Drowsy Dreamland - Due to the playground being what it is, they all benefit from the perks of having better sleep and often do have better sleep than the other toons from the other playgrounds (Unless you’re that one toon from that Graham task)

🥧Baby toon fur/ feathers/scales are much more lighter when very young (like infant to toddler), they reach their true colors around early childhood

🐾 Mother egg layers (like ducks, other birds, and gators) lay eggs (woah that's crazy), and also assuming that they take the same time as humans, they will hold the egg for about 9 months, lay it, and then take care of the egg for about a few days until it hatches.

🐾 Brand new baby toons (I have no idea what to call it, idk the actual name) look like their newborn for their species, usually small, blind/deaf, bald, pink crying jellybeans with limbs. In around the couple of weeks or a month mark, they actually look like proper toon babies. Yes, the toon parents will take many pictures when their baby starts to explode in fur/feathers because they look hilarious.

🥧Toons of different species can have a child together, the child will mainly be the species of their mother with some features of their father (think of the hybrids from Beastars)

🐾EX: Duck (mother) and Alligator (father): The child would appear mostly duck with sharp teeth, spines, claws, and some scales on their body

🥧Speaking “proper” words is a learned behavior, baby toons often speak in their natural animal noises. “Proper” words are like a second language for toons, some toons will slip and talk in their “natural” language. Toons can understand each other animal noises even if they’re different species. (The Cogs can’t understand their natural animal language)

🥧Predator toons (I have no idea what to call them in this context) like cats, dogs, bears, alligators, hybrids, etc, have retractable claws. Most keep their claws short to keep in their gloves. More fashion-forward toons who don’t fight cogs tend to let their claws grow and keep them decorated (Like Malimew Barbie and Begothz)

🥧Cat toons can be scruffed and it’s really embarrassing for them. Most Cat toons often wear something on their neck, usually to make it harder for them to be scruffed, sometimes it's for fashion or both.

🥧Toons can temporarily change art styles. Usually for comic effect, imagine you said something stupid and the toon just looks at you like 👁️_👁️ -_- 👁️_👁️

[antiqueanimals]

Elements of Zoölogy: A Text-book. Written by Sanborn Tenney. 1875.

Internet Archive

[pinkanonwrites]

Can I request Reader dealing with baby tweels like how they dealt with baby Azul?

Sure thing! I hope you enjoy!

GN!Reader, They/them pronouns

Jade and Floyd weren't completely unruly twins growing up. At least, according to their mother they weren't. But apparently even from a young age they had been known to get in trouble from time to time, to wander off, to cause trouble the moment their parents' backs were turned.

Which is why the sight before the two grown Leech twins was so baffling. The younger versions of themselves, conjured from a spell gone awry, had found the Ramshackle Prefect and decided to latch to them like a pair of acorn barnacles.

Quite literally 'latch' as well, considering how each of the small children was coiled around one of the Prefect's legs, burbling with delight as they struggled to walk around.

"Should we help them?" Deuce asked. Your two first-year companions were with you when 'the incident' occurred, standing off to the side in confusion and awe as you toted around the baby twins with only minimal straining and effort despite their dragging eel tails trailing behind your steps.

"Only if you want to get bit." Ace replied.

"Mom always said I was a biter!~" Floyd couldn't help but grin as he watched his younger self take a toothy mouthful of the fabric of your uniform slacks, gnawing away in visible delight. You didn't seem to be all that bothered by the presence of the child versions of the twins. In fact you seemed to revel in it, making silly noises as you swung your legs around, laughing along with their tittering giggles, occasionally reaching down to give one or both little kids a fond pat on the head.

"Hang on tight!" You called, lifting your legs high into the air and making a big fuss about them coming back down with each step. You even went so far as to make mock explosion noises with your mouth upon each landing, as if you were a city-crushing monster in some B-list movie. The little Tweels couldn't seem to get enough of it.

Jade was content to stay on the sidelines as Floyd budged his way over to you to join your game, hollering about how 'Mini-me can't keep the Shrimpy all to himself!' As fascinating a display as it was, Jade would much prefer to watch how you interacted with his young self without you worrying about what he may think. Observing you in your natural environment, he rationed. Free of external stimuli.

Though one thought shone above the others in Jade's mind as you scooped up his younger self, beaming as you let the toddler coil up in your arms. The thought of how one day, you would make quite the incredible parent.

[cryptidclaw]

Cryptidclaw's WC Prefixes List!

Yall said you were interested in seeing it so here it is! 

This is a collection of mostly Flora, Fauna, Rocks, and other such things that can be found in Britain since that’s where the books take place! 

I also have other Prefixes that have to do with pelt colors and patterns as well!

Here’s a link to the doc if you dont want to expand a 650 word list on your Tumblr feed lol! the doc is also in my drive linked in my pined post!

below is the actual list! If there are any names you think I should add plz tell me!

EDIT: I will update the doc with new names as I come up with them or have them suggested to me, but I wont update the list on this post! Plz visit my doc for a more updated version!

Animals

Mammal

Badger

Bat

Bear

Beaver

Bison

Boar

Buck

Calf

Cow

Deer

Elk

Fawn

Ferret

Fox

Goat

Hare

Horse

Lamb

Lynx

Marten

Mole

Mouse

Otter

Rabbit

Rat

Seal

Sheep

Shrew

Squirrel

Stoat

Vole

Weasel

Wolf

Wolverine

Amphibians

Frog

Newt

Toad

Reptiles

Scale

Adder

Lizard

Snake

Turtle

Shell

Birds

Bird

Down

Feather

Albatross

Bittern

Buzzard

Chaffinch

Chick

Chicken

Coot

Cormorant

Corvid

Crane

Crow

Curlew

Dove

Duck

Dunlin

Eagle

Egret

Falcon

Finch

Gannet

Goose

Grouse

Gull

Hawk

Hen

Heron

Ibis

Jackdaw

Jay

Kestrel

Kite

Lark

Magpie

Mallard

Merlin

Mockingbird

Murrelet

Nightingale

Osprey

Owl

Partridge

Pelican

Peregrine

Petrel

Pheasant

Pigeon

Plover

Puffin

Quail

Raven

Robin

Rook

Rooster

Ruff

Shrike

Snipe

Sparrow

Starling

Stork

Swallow

Swan

Swift

Tern

Thrasher

Thrush

Vulture

Warbler

Whimbrel

Wren

Freshwater Fish 

Fish

Bass

Bream 

Carp

Dace

Eel

Lamprey

Loach

Minnow

Perch

Pike

Rudd

Salmon

Sterlet

Tench

Trout

Roach

Saltwater fish and other Sea creatures (would cats be able to find some of these? Probably not, I don't care tho)

Alge

Barnacle

Bass (Saltwater version)

Bream (Saltwater version)

Brill

Clam

Cod

Crab

Dolphin

Eel (Saltwater version)

Flounder

Garfish

Halibut

Kelp

Lobster

Mackerel

Mollusk

Orca

Prawn

Ray

Seal

Shark

Shrimp

Starfish

Sting

Urchin

Whale

Insects and Arachnids

Honey

Insect

Web

Ant

Bee

Beetle

Bug

Butterfly

Caterpillar

Cricket

Damselfly

Dragonfly

Fly

Grasshopper

Grub

Hornet

Maggot

Moth

Spider

Wasp

Worm

Trees

Acorn

Bark

Branch

Forest

Hollow

Log

Root

Stump

Timber

Tree

Twig

Wood

Alder

Apple

Ash

Aspen

Beech

Birch

Cedar

Cherry

Chestnut

Cypress

Elm

Fir

Hawthorn

Hazel

Hemlock

Linden

Maple

Oak

Pear

Poplar

Rowan

Redwood

Spruce

Willow

Yew

Flowers, Shrubs and Other plants

Berry

Blossom

Briar

Field

Flower

Leaf

Meadow

Needle

Petal

Shrub

Stem

Thicket

Thorn

Vine

Anemone 

Apricot

Barley 

Bellflower

Bluebell

Borage

Bracken

Bramble

Briar

Burnet

Buttercup

Campion

Chamomile

Chanterelle

Chicory

Clover

Cornflower

Daffodil

Daisy

Dandelion

Dogwood

Fallow

Fennel

Fern

Flax

Foxglove

Furze

Garlic

Ginger

Gorse

Grass

Hay

Heather

Holly

Honeysuckle

Hop

Hyacinth

Iris

Ivy

Juniper

Lavender

Lichen

Lilac

Lilly

Mallow

Marigold

Mint

Mistletoe

Moss

Moss

Mushroom

Nettle

Nightshade

Oat

Olive

Orchid

Parsley

Periwinkle

Pine

Poppy

Primrose

Privet

Raspberry

Reed

Reedmace

Rose

Rush

Rye

Saffron

Sage

Sedge

Seed

Snowdrop

Spindle

Strawberry

Tangerine

Tansy

Teasel

Thistle

Thrift

Thyme

Violet

Weed

Wheat

Woodruff

Yarrow

Rocks and earth

Agate

Amber

Amethyst

Arch

Basalt

Bounder

Cave

Chalk

Coal

Copper

Dirt

Dust

Flint

Garnet

Gold

Granite

Hill

Iron

Jagged

Jet

Mountain

Mud

Peak

Pebble

Pinnacle

Pit

Quartz

Ridge

Rock

Rubble

Ruby

Rust(y)

Sand

Sapphire

Sediment

Silt

Silver

Slate

Soil

Spire

Stone

Trench

Zircon

Water Formations

Bay

Cove

Creek

Delta

Lake

Marsh

Ocean

Pool

Puddle

River

Sea

Water

Weather and such

Autumn

Avalanche

Balmy

Blaze

Blizzard

Breeze

Burnt

Chill

Cinder

Cloud

Cold

Dew

Drift

Drizzle

Drought

Dry

Ember

Fall

Fire

Flame

Flood

Fog

Freeze

Frost

Frozen

Gale

Gust

Hail

Ice

Icicle

Lightening

Mist

Muggy

Rain 

Scorch

Singe

Sky

Sleet

Sloe

Smoke

Snow

Snowflake

Soot

Sorrel

Spark

Spring

Steam

Storm

Summer

Sun

Thunder

Water

Wave

Wet

Wind

Winter

Celestial??

Comet

Dawn

Dusk

Evening 

Midnight

Moon

Morning

Night

Noon

Twilight

Cat Features, Traits, and Misc. 

Azure

Beige

Big

Black

Blonde

Blotch(ed)

Blue

Bounce

Bright 

Brindle

Broken

Bronze

Brown

Bumble

Burgundy

Call

Carmine

Claw

Cobalt

Cream

Crimson

Cry

Curl(y)

Dapple

Dark

Dot(ted)

Dusky

Ebony

Echo

Fallen

Fleck(ed)

Fluffy

Freckle

Ginger

Golden

Gray

Green

Heavy

Kink

Knot(ted)

Light

Little

Lost

Loud

Marbled

Mew

Milk

Mottle

Mumble

Ochre

Odd

One

Orange

Pale

Patch(ed)

Pounce 

Prickle

Ragged

Red

Ripple

Rough

Rugged

Russet

Scarlet

Shade

Shaggy

Sharp

Shimmer

Shining

Small

Smudge

Soft

Song

Speckle

Spike

Splash

Spot(ted)

Streak

Stripe(d)

Strong

Stump(y)

Sweet

Tall

Talon

Tangle

Tatter(ed)

Tawny

Tiny

Tough

Tumble

Twist

Violet

Whisker

Whisper

White

Wild

Wooly

Yellow

[savinghorsesandridingcowboys]

Newsies as things my friends have said (2/?)

Davey - don't krill over spilk milk

Race - As opposed to all the other withered old hags at the age of 32?

Jack - I bet you have a really long tongue because you have really long legs

Davey - Where did you get that from?

Les - Uh-huh

Race - I have the need. the need for kneed

Jack - my mom used to have a belly button

Davey - USED TO??

Katherine - I cant fall in love with an emo girl in these conditions

Spot - If you send me the fish one I'll bite off your toes

Les, after the newsies got their shit wrecked - If you're ever having a bad day, just remember how bad the dinosaurs got nerfed

Davey/Spot - I need to throw away my gum

Jack/Race - I'll eat it

Elmer - mmmm. ife

Token Pulitzer - Well, we force-fed him apples with the seeds. Hopefully he dies soon.

Race - I caught an acorn barnacle! Will it grown into an oarnk... wait.