Fragile Barnacle
Coastal Habitats
Jetty Life
Fragile Barnacle
Chthamalus fragilis
Fragile barnacles, smaller than your littlest fingertip, are the most common barnacle between the Texas tide lines. On jetty boulders, you can often count more than 90 little barnacles per square foot. The barnacles open wide during high tide, sweeping food from the water. Limpets, snails and small crabs that live in this zone are active, too, feeding on each other and even the barnacles.
Learn more by clicking on an image below.
Select a coastal habitat: