Whale barnacle
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Cetopirus |
Whale barnacles are sessile barnacles belonging to the family Coronulidae. Whale barnacles attach themselves to the bodies of baleen whales during the barnacles's free-swimming larval stage. Though often described as parasites, the relationship is an example of obligate commensalism, as the barnacles neither harm, nor benefit, their host.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Coronulidae (TSN 89671). Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- ^ Nogata, Y.; Matsumura, K. (2006). "Larval development and settlement of a whale barnacle". Biology Letters 2 (1): 92–93. doi:.
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