Goose barnacle migrate, it was thought that barnacle geese, "Branta leucopsis", developed from this crustacean, since they were never seen to nest in temperate Europe, hence the English names "goose barnacle", "barnacle goose" and the scientific name "Lepas anserifera" (, "goose"). The confusion was prompted by the similarities in colour and shape. Because they were often found on driftwood, it was assumed that the barnacles were attached to branches before they fell in the water. The archdeacon of Brecon, Gerald of Wales, made this claim in his "Topographia Hiberniae". Since barnacle geese were thought to be "neither flesh, nor born of flesh",
Ivory barnacle Ivory barnacle Amphibalanus eburneus, the ivory barnacle, is a species of acorn barnacle in the family Balanidae. It occurs on the east coast of North America, the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. The ivory barnacle is a medium-sized, cone-shaped sessile barnacle with a white test composed of fused plates. It has a diamond-shaped operculum protected by a hinged lid formed from two triangular halves each consisting of two plates, a tergum and a scutum. It can grow to a height of but most individuals are much smaller. This barnacle can be confused with the white bay barnacle ("Balanus improvisus")