Why don't you see barnacles on killer whales? Could it be that barnacles also bully the soft and fear the hard? Actually, this question is easy to explain.
Barnacles, a tiny creature that looks like a shellfish, but are related to crabs and shrimps, belong to the arthropod family.
They are extremely fragile in their larval stages, and when they float in the water, they can become a delicacy for other marine predators at any time. In order to survive, barnacle larvae urgently need to find a host large enough to settle on it and end their wandering life.
When the barnacle larvae meets a whale, it is thrilled. The humpback whale's huge body and rough skin are exactly the safe haven it dreams of.
So, the barnacle larva swung its tiny appendages and swam towards the "moving castle" at great speed.
Barnacles are extremely careful when choosing objects for parasitism. They prefer creatures that are large, swim moderately, and have rough skin.
After careful observation and evaluation, Barnacle decided to take root in this humpback whale. It secretes a large amount of mucus that clings tightly to the whale's rough skin.
At the same time, it also extends its root-like appendages, which are deeply embedded in the whale's muscles to ensure that it does not get shaken off easily.
Since then, a wonderful symbiotic relationship has developed between barnacles and humpback whales. Barnacles find shelter here, and humpback whales become its solid support. This symbiotic relationship could last for decades.
But for humpback whales, the presence of barnacles is undoubtedly a burden. Barnacles tend to parasitize whales' heads, fins, and other areas, which are crucial for whales.
According to statistics, an adult humpback whale may have barnacles weighing more than half a ton attached to its body surface. These barnacles are stacked on top of each other, which seriously affects the swimming and life of humpback whales.
Humpback whales have to roll and flap their fins on the surface of the sea alone in order to get rid of these annoying "uninvited guests". Unfortunately, these methods have had little effect, and barnacles still firmly occupy their homeland.
In contrast, killer whales, ferocious marine predators, are virtually infestation from barnacles.
They often help each other clean up foreign objects on their bodies, and because of their high-speed swimming Xi, they are not suitable for barnacles. Moreover, the unique shield scale structure of killer whales also makes it difficult for barnacles to settle here.
Therefore, humpback whales are the main colony of barnacles due in large part to their large bodies and docile nature. This not only brings great distress to humpback whales, but also puts a heavy burden on their survival.
So, what will happen to the barnacles that have completed their attachment on the surface of the whale's body?
They will feed on the microvessels that supply blood to the whale's body, which are closely connected to the host through the rhizomes. In order to obtain stable nutrients, some barnacles even grow deep into the skin, more likely to parasitize the whale's digestive tract.
As you can imagine, this is undoubtedly a painful ordeal for these poor marine mammals.
Sea turtles are likewise favored by barnacles. With their gentle temperament and rough skin, they are another ideal host for barnacles. The surface of the turtle's dorsal carapace is often covered with dense barnacles, which severely affects their ability to survive and crawl.
Stationary or slow-moving vessels, pipelines and delicate equipment have also been hit hard. A 100-ton cargo ship, a few years after it is launched, will have a thick layer of barnacles on the bottom of the ship.
This not only affects the speed, but also accelerates the corrosion of the hull and shortens its service life. At the same time, it also increases the risk of shipwrecks.
It can be seen that despite their small size, the harm they cause to marine life and human activities is enormous.
