Description: A large goose barnacle that can reach more than 85 cm total length, although the capitulum only reaches up to 5 cm the peduncle can reach 80 cm or more. The peduncle has a leathery texture and is dark purple to brown in colour, darkest near the capitulum. The capitulum is made up of 5 large, opaque, white shell plates which are smooth or may have very fine lines. The membrane bordering the plates is yellow to orange in colour.

Habitat: Attached to floating objects and on washed up flotsam and jetsam.

Distribution: Recorded all around Britain and Ireland, although less common on North Sea coasts. This is the most commonly recorded stranded Lepas species this area.

Similar Species: Could be confused with Lepas pectinata but it is much smaller with a capitulum of up to 2.5 cm and a peduncle which is always shorter than the capitulum, whereas Lepas anatifera has a very long peduncle.

Key Identification Features:

• Large goose barnacle reaching lengths of up to 85 cm or more, most of which is made up of peduncle.
• Leathery purple to brown peduncle.
• Membrane bordering shell plates is yellow to orange in colour.

Distribution Map from NBN: Lepas anatifera at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Lepas anatifera at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Lepas (Lepas) anatifera

WoRMS: Lepas anatifera at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Lepas (Lepas) anatifera Linnaeus, 1758. AphiaID: 733346.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Arthropoda; Crustacea; Multicrustacea; Thecostraca; Cirripedia; Thoracica; Thoracicalcarea; Scalpellomorpha; Lepadoidea; Lepadidae; Lepas