A genus of barnacles (small marine crustaceans) that attach to rocks and ship hulls in ocean environments.
From Greek 'balanos' (acorn), referring to the acorn-like shape of the barnacle's shell when viewed from certain angles.
Barnacles are nature's ultimate engineers—they produce a cement stronger than most industrial adhesives, which is why ships have to spend millions scraping them off to maintain speed and fuel efficiency.
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