What Whale Barnacles Know
November 30, 2021 7:48 PM   Subscribe

In the grand scheme of things, Michael Moore regrets losing his sense of smell decades ago as the result of chemical exposure in veterinary school. It may have spared him some discomfort, though, on the day in September 2010 when he arrived on a beach in Massachusetts to examine the colossal decaying carcass of a washed-up humpback whale... He did see one sign of life, however: clusters of freeloading whale barnacles, embedded in the whale’s skin like calcium carbonate body piercings. Their shells clicked softly as they extended their feathery back legs, sweeping the air for plankton that were no longer floating by. For generations, these hitchhikers have been recording details about their hosts and their ocean home. (SLHakai)
posted by ShooBoo (8 comments total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
Whales and hitchhikers mentioned in the same sentence and Douglas Adams is not involved. Bravo!
posted by hippybear at 8:10 PM on November 30, 2021 [1 favorite]


This is fascinating! I have to admit, before this article, I never gave whale barnacles much thought, except to imagine they must itch the whale something fierce. Now, reading about callosities and how the wall plates have chambers into which the whale skin grows… I feel they must itch like mad. Good god!
posted by ejs at 9:25 PM on November 30, 2021 [2 favorites]


I'd think whales are intelligent enough to rub itching parts of itself against things to try to find relief. It's possible this is a symbiotic relationship which no bad effects to either party.
posted by hippybear at 9:30 PM on November 30, 2021


Whales are in the ocean. Things solid and stable to rub enough to rub against are dangerous. Rocks are in the surf line. Sharks aren’t reliable grooming partners. If whales are in any way like boats, barnacles would make whale swimming much less efficient, especially since these things choose the areas of the whale with the fastest water flow. What are the barnacles bringing to the whale?
posted by rdr at 9:59 PM on November 30, 2021


According to the article, they act as brass knuckles in whale fights, which may be of limited use but is incredible badass.
posted by ejs at 6:06 AM on December 1, 2021 [2 favorites]


Thanks, that's lovely reading. My friend studies plankton and blue whales' diet but is lacking Michael Moore's anosmia .. she tells how a sample of blue whale poop can empty not just a room but a building.
posted by anadem at 6:41 AM on December 1, 2021


Might someone here be able to clarify the use of the term 'fossil' in this context? I ask because my understanding is that fossilization is the process whereby the original material(s) of a formerly living organism are replaced by minerals in the surrounding environment over time. That cannot be the case with the barnacles being studied since this work depends on sampling and analyzing the actual calcium carbonate deposited while the organisms were still alive, i.e. the original shells/plates have been preserved by some other mechanism like being covered in marine sediment.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 7:43 AM on December 1, 2021


I'm not sure what there is organic to replace with minerals in calcium carbonate.
posted by hippybear at 8:20 PM on December 1, 2021


« Older Welcome to the pyrocene   |   The Yamaha DX7 synthesizer's clever exponential... Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments