Rose-coloured Barnacle

Tesseropora rosea

Description:

Also known as Rosy Barnacle and Rose Barnacle, this is a tall, conical barnacle, normally creamy-white in colour, but when eroded has a pink tinge. There are four main wall plates, but the opening (orifice) is five-sided (pentagonal) in shape. Inside the plates is porous, broken by radial walls. Largest specimens to about 20 mm across and 12 mm high. This species occurs from New South Wales, to north-eastern Victoria and occasionally in north-eastern Tasmania, although the Qld Museum states it is also found in Western Australia and South Africa. Barnacles are arthropods, in the same major group as insects and spiders, and are most closely related to decapod crabs, prawns, lobsters and yabbies. Live and learn. PS: The little blue snails seen in this set are Little Blue Periwinkles (Nodilittorina unifasciata).

Habitat:

Occurs on most exposed rocky ocean shores exposed to high energy waves, at mid to low-tide levels. I believe this area is called the "barnacle zone". On some rock faces it may be found in huge numbers. This spotting was on a rock platform at Terrigal Haven, just below one of the headlands at Terrigal Beach on the NSW Central Coast.