What does cirripede mean?
A cirripede is a marine crustacean belonging to the subclass Cirripedia, the biological group that includes barnacles and their relatives. The word is most useful in scientific and taxonomic contexts, whereas barnacle is the ordinary term encountered in general writing. A typical adult barnacle has a hard, calcareous shell and remains attached to rocks, ship hulls, piers, or other surfaces. Instead of using conventional jaws and legs, it extends feathery, jointed appendages called cirri to sweep suspended food particles from the surrounding water. The technical name reflects this characteristic anatomy: Cirripedia combines the Latin cirrus, meaning a curl or fringe, with pes, meaning foot. Cirripede can therefore be understood formally as a “fringe-footed” crustacean. Although barnacles may look like mussels, limpets, or other shell-bearing marine animals, they are actually arthropods and therefore relatives of crabs, shrimp, and lobsters.
nounA marine crustacean belonging to the subclass Cirripedia, which includes barnacles and their close relatives. Adult cirripedes characteristically have calcareous shells and feed using jointed appendages called cirri.
- A crustacean of the subclass Cirripedia, especially a barnacle.
"A cirripede filters minute particles from the water with its feathery feeding appendages."
"The museum specimen is the preserved cirripede of an unidentified acorn barnacle."
"Cirripede larvae drift through coastal waters before establishing themselves on a suitable surface."
The standard English plural is cirripeds, although the scientific group is commonly named Cirripedia.
"Several cirripeds were attached to the underside of the floating platform."
The barnacle’s shell once fooled naturalists so thoroughly that these crustaceans were historically classified among the molluscs.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does cirripede come from?
The English word was formed in the 19th century from the Modern Latin taxonomic name Cirripedia. Its name combines Latin cirrus, meaning “curl” or “fringe,” with pes, meaning “foot,” referring to the cirri, or feeding appendages, of these crustaceans. The same roots are reflected in related forms such as cirrate, from Latin cirratus, and pedal, from Latin pedalis.
Related word forms
How cirripede is actually used
Cirripede is a specialized zoological term used chiefly in marine biology, taxonomy, and paleontology. In general writing, barnacle is normally preferred.