ID Help Please

[Bartooon]

I took the dog for a walk along the beach today and found this washed up. I have had a look in my coastal flora and fauna books but can't seem to find it. Whatever it is, it is extremely beautiful!

Can anyone put me out of my misery and provide an ID?

 

[Toddy]

Goose barnacles

M

 

[Toddy]

http://www.cardiganbaysac.org.uk/?page_id=782

M

 

[ozzy1977]

That's a great find, thanks for sharing.

 

[Bartooon]

Goose barnacles

M

Thanks Toddy! I can see why they are called that now with the neck and beak. Very strange creatures and quite alien-like!

 

[Ecoman]

Quite often found on floating flotsam. Used to find loads when picking litter out of the sea when we took the fishing boat out.

 

[Perrari]

A couple of years ago I found a log that was about 16 foot long that had thousands of them attached to it. At the time I had no idea what they were, and they looked like aliens. I haven't come across any since.

 

[shaggystu]

Edible I presume?

 

[Toddy]

I know that folks used to eat the stalks, but I've no idea how they were cooked or just how edible/tasty they actually were.

cheers,
M

 

[shaggystu]

I know that folks used to eat the stalks, but I've no idea how they were cooked or just how edible/tasty they actually were.

cheers,
M

Thanks for that Mary

 

[georann]

Looks interesting. Where abouts in the country can you find them?

 

[Goatboy]

From the font that is Wikipedia: -

"[h=2]As food[/h]In Portugal and Spain, they are a widely consumed and expensive delicacy known as percebes. Percebes are harvested commercially in the northern coast, mainly in Galicia, and are also imported from overseas, particularly from Morocco and Canada. The indigenous peoples of California eat the stem after cooking it in hot ashes.[SUP]"

And a Youtube video.
[video=youtube;bxIsdWAm9TY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxIsdWAm9TY[/video]

And also a simple recipe form the web!

http://erikras.com/2010/08/23/spanish-goose-barnacle-recipe/[/SUP]

 

[georann]

Now I'm kinda peckish!