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 become planktonic. They pass through six naupliar stages and one cyprid stage over the course of one to two weeks. The nauplii feed on phytoplankton but the cyprid larvae do not feed. They search out sites for settlement, possibly following chemical cues from already established adults or testing the substrate for suitability. Once settled, they cement themselves by their heads to the surface and undergo metamorphosis into juvenile barnacles. 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