Maxillopods include barnacles, copepods, mystacocarids, tantulocarids, branchiurans, ostracods, and related groups.
Most species are small.
Barnacles feed with thoracic appendages, but in a way that is unique among crustaceans. Barnacles grow to encrust solid structures placed in marine environments, including docks and pilings and also the bottoms of ships. Animal Diversity . Brusca, R. C., and G. J. Brusca. Pearse, V., J. Pearse, M. Buchsbaum, and R. Buchsbaum.