Chamaesipho brunnea facts for kids

Chamaesipho brunnea is a common type of barnacle found along the coasts of New Zealand. You can spot these interesting sea creatures on both the North Island and the South Island. Barnacles are small animals that attach themselves to rocks and other hard surfaces in the ocean. They have a hard shell and filter tiny bits of food from the water.

About Chamaesipho brunnea

Chamaesipho brunnea barnacles have a brown shell. When they are young, these barnacles have six shell plates. As they get older, the number of plates changes to four. Eventually, all these plates grow together. This means the shell becomes one solid piece, and you can't see the lines (called sutures) between the plates anymore.

Chamaesipho brunnea, crowded columnar colony, in situ

Comparing with Other Barnacles

There are other barnacles that live in the same areas. One close relative is Chamaesipho columna. This barnacle is much smaller than C. brunnea, almost half the size. Another barnacle, Elminius, also has four shell plates. However, its plates always stay separate, even when it's fully grown.

You can also tell C. brunnea apart by its shell texture. The shell of C. columna often looks pitted or bumpy from wear. In contrast, C. brunnea has a smoother, layered type of wear on its shell.

Where Chamaesipho brunnea Lives

Chamaesipho brunnea lives in the Intertidal zone. This is the part of the seashore that is covered by water at high tide and exposed to the air at low tide. These barnacles prefer places with strong waves and lots of energy. You will often find them in the upper part of the intertidal zone, above the normal high tide mark.

In calmer areas, you won't find as many C. brunnea barnacles. If their living area overlaps with Chamaesipho columna, C. brunnea will always be found higher up on the shore. In more sheltered spots, C. columna tends to take over.

Geographic Range

Chamaesipho brunnea is naturally found only on the shores of New Zealand. It lives along all the coasts of the North Island where the conditions are right. On the South Island, you won't find it south of Stewart Island. This barnacle is also the only Chamaesipho species present on the Chatham Islands.

These barnacles mostly breed during spring and summer. This suggests that the temperature of the water might be an important factor in where they can live.