Thursday, May 31, 2012

Barnacles, Jax Beach Pier

 As I wandered down the pier I saw the first picture. I thought barnacles were a more social bunch. Then I saw the next piling. The top must be a new developement.

2 comments:

Martina said...

Perhaps some neighbourhood argument?

The word "barnacles" caught my eye, so here is for all of us:

barnacle
early 13c., "species of wild goose;" as a type of "shellfish," first recorded 1580s. Often derived from a Celtic source (cf. Bret. bernik, a kind of shellfish), but the application to the goose predates that of the shellfish in English. The goose nests in the Arctic in summer and returns to Europe in the winter, hence the mystery surrounding its reproduction. It was believed in ancient superstition to hatch from barnacle's shell, possibly because the crustacean's feathery stalks resemble goose down. The scientific name of the crustacean, Cirripedes, is from Gk. cirri "curls of hair" + pedes "feet."

James Weekes said...

We have has a huge influx, over the past 10 years, of Canada Geese. They used to migrate north, but have found the pickings so good here that many stay and dig up any lawn that they can find. Now I find out that they're hatching from barnacles. We're going to be up to our rears in geese.

I grew up on Long Island, due east of New York City. We were right on Oyster Bay, with a nice little beach. I used to fill an aquarium with salt water and put fish in it for a day or two, then return them to the bay. One time I put in a brick, covered in barnacles. I was transfixed by their little waving stalks, cleaning the water. Some were quite elaborate.