7 Satisfying Facts About The Sea Turtle - Page 3 of 9

Sea turtles have a commensal relationship with barnacles

A commensal relationship between animals often occurs when one benefits from being attached to the other animal. In this situation, some barnacles benefit from growing and attaching themselves to sea turtles. They will usually attach to the neck or shell of the sea turtle.

There are three main reasons why sea turtles make great hosts for barnacles. The first is that they live a long time; therefore, the barnacle does not have to worry about its host dying and finding a new home. However, this security can sometimes fail as a barnacle may attach itself to an area of skin or shell which the turtle ends up shedding.