If there is any kind of marine life that gives whales the most headaches, I am afraid that it is barnacles, although their size is small, but the body will secrete superglue-like substances to firmly fix themselves on whales, turtles and other marine life. However, the great white shark, which is also a sea creature, does not have this problem, so what is going on?
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > barnacles on whales</h1>
From the outside, barnacles are very similar to shells, but in fact, their blood relations are closer to crabs, shrimp, etc., and they belong to arthropods. Juvenile barnacles look similar to crabs, shrimp, etc., but they are smaller in size, belonging to zooplankton in the ocean, and are easily swallowed by other predators.
After a period of development in juvenile barnacles, they begin to look for fixed attachments. Since it can no longer leave once attached, barnacles have higher environmental requirements. On the one hand, the area is required to be rich in organic matter that can meet their energy needs; on the other hand, the attachment site should be rough and uneven, and the place that is too smooth is not conducive to the parasitism of barnacles; in addition, the water flow at the attached site should not be too fast or too slow. After the barnacles find a habitat, they will secrete mucus to firmly hold themselves and the attachment ground together, but if they find that the chosen location is wrong at this time, they can turn their heads and leave.
Once barnacles are permanently attached to a certain place, then they will live in this place for life. The reason why barnacles like to parasitize whales is actually because the whale's swimming speed just meets their needs for attachment, and the surface of the whale's skin is rough and uneven, which is very conducive to the parasitism of barnacles.
However, there are many types of whales, and some whales do not have barnacles parasitizing, such as killer whales, which are because killer whales live in groups, and they can clean each other's barnacles, so that barnacles are not fully parasitic here, they will be photographed.
When the barnacles parasitize on the surface of the whale, in order to prevent the whale skin from decreasing its firmness due to metabolism, the barnacles will continue to grow deep into the whale's skin, and from the cut surface, the barnacles seem to penetrate deep into the flesh of the whale.
In addition to whales, barnacles also parasitize turtles, and there are some videos on the Internet cleaning up parasitic barnacles on turtles, and if you look closely, you will find that these barnacles have been embedded inside the turtle's shell.
The reason why there are few barnacles parasitism on the great white shark is because the great white shark swims very fast, which is not conducive to the survival of barnacles. And the great white shark has a shield scale substance, which is very hard, barnacles are difficult to attach to it, so the great white shark is clean.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > the life of a barnacles</h1>
Barnacles prey on a simple method, with a net-like tentacle sticking out from the opening of the shell that filters plankton from the ocean and then brings it into the mouth to eat.
Barnacles are sexual reproduction, and during the breeding season, they will penetrate their reproductive organs deep into the barnacles next to them to complete fertilization. When fertilized, they release their eggs into the ocean, where they develop larvae like shrimp and crabs until they find a suitable place to attach and parasitize here.
This way of living of barnacles is a way of survival that they have evolved to adapt to the natural environment, but their existence has caused trouble to other marine life.
In the case of sea turtles, for example, turtles move slowly and are suitable for barnacles to attach, but when turtles attach more barnacles, it will cause the turtles to swim more slowly, so that it affects hunting and survival.
The same is true for whales, barnacles can be parasitic in any place in the whale, some even above the eyes of barnacles, head and other positions, and some barnacles like to parasitize on the double fins of whales, sometimes whales can not stand the parasitism of barnacles, but they do not have a better way to clean barnacles, can only constantly use double fins to pat the water surface, or pat the surrounding rocks, reefs and so on.
The existence of barnacles also threatens human ships, coastal pipelines and precision measuring instruments, etc. Nowadays, some ships and pipelines need to clean barnacles regularly, which will not only lead to rising costs, but also easily cause equipment life to decline, resulting in greater equipment waste.
Although barnacles are a delicacy, not many people actually eat it, and we can't completely solve the barnacles problem by eating them. Hopefully, in the future, we will find a way to completely solve the barnacles.