[WaterAye]

My son asked me; Why whales get barnacles but sharks and dolphins don't? I can see why sharks don't, because it's a completely different type of skin, but why not dolphins? or do they?

 

[LobsterD]

Good question, I would think that the speed dolphins travel at, barnacle spat can't get a grip? Or maybe they are smart enough to scrape/rub along the bottom to scratch 'em off.they sometimes do get them

This post edited by LobsterD 10:35 AM 05/12/2008

 

[648753]

speed is a factor. habitat may be, too.

here is an interesting link to further explore your question:
All About Barnacles

This post edited by Hunt n' Fish 08:24 PM 05/12/2008

 

[Hunt n' Fish]

Sea turtles can get them too.

 

[CaptPaul]

Dolphins do get barnacles, but not too many. One reason is related to their speed- not how fast they travel, but how much time they spend traveling quickly. Barnacles do not feed in fast currents, or at speed, so the faster animals are not good candidates to support barnacle life. Additionally, and more importantly, dolphins shed theri skin at an imncredible rate, lessening the instance of successful attachment.

Those that do successfully attach, and can feed enough to survive, are not very bountiful, so they stay smaller, and less noticeable. The barnacles' color also contrast less w/ most dolphin species' skin color.

Paul

 

[WaterAye]

Thanks Paul, that makes sense. I was thinking about it last night and wondered if perhaps filter feeding whales get more barnacles then predatory whales?

Little known fact there Normy: Barnacles have the largest ***** to body size ratio in the animal kingdom.

 

[CaptPaul]

I guess it's more of a function of their speed Erik, when I think about it. The skin shedding thing was cited as the main reason they stay clean by a naturalist I knew during the whaling years. However, after contemplating it, I never did notice great amounts of barnacles on the faster filter-feeders- finbacks, sei whales, and minkes. But then again, close encounters w/ those animals are fairly rare.

Further contemplation led me to beleive that the humpbacks (which I spnet the most time in close quarters w/) had most of the barnacles in dead-water areas, like around the rostrum, cutwater, tailstock. Dolphins and other fater whales are evolved extensively to provide a highly streamlined body form, w/ little or no dead spots. In fact, the benefit of the high rate of skin shedding is believed to eliminate potential vortices and drag during fast swimming.

Right whales bodies,in fact, have excessive skin folds on their head, along w/ callosities (growths of hard skin), whose purpose seems to be to actually encourage the growth of barnacles and other parasites, to create unique patterns, potentially for individual identification. And, by the by, Norm, their testicles are the size of VWs.

Paul

 

[poorrichard]

Barnacles

I've had lobsters in the traps with banacles on them. Green crabs too!
Slow movers,and the baracles can attach themselves.

 

[CaptPaul]

I think just about all animals are moving slow enough, at times, for barnacles to attach. It's a matter of the animal spending enough time moving slow enough, or not at all, for the barnacle to feed and grow.

Paul

 

[WaterAye]

Great info thanks

 

[LobsterD]

I had barnys on a 2 pound cull just this past sunday, sorry no pic of that lobster, but when was the last time you saw a 2 claw/claw?