Fauna of the mangroves
Barnacles are actually crustaceans, which include members such as
prawns and crabs. Once they find a suitable site, they attach
themselves head-first to the support by secreting a strong protein
cement, forming strong calcareous plates around themselves. They
feed during high tide using their legs like a filtering device,
sieving plankton from the water during hide tide to their mouth.
When the tide recede they retreat to the safety of their shells,
closing the valves to protect themselves from drying out.
