They also do this when they feel threatened. In their larval stage, they are free swimming. The glue used to attach themselves to the rocks has such amazing strength that scientists have been studying it to find a way to produce a synthetic glue with similar properties. Four smaller plates are formed on the inside, which clamp tightly shut when they are exposed to air or danger. The feather like cirri , or legs of the barnacle, serve dual purpose as lungs and food filters.
Barnacles often live near mussel beds.
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