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Austrominius modestus - New-Zealand barnacle

Current distribution Austrominius modestus (Darwin, 1854) (4007 OBIS-datapoints, 11270 GBIF-datapoints)
Originally, the New Zealand barnacle Austrominius modestus was found only in Australia and Asia. However, the species was introduced to Europe during World War II, attached to merchant- and warships. In Belgium this barnacle was observed for the first time in 1950, attached to the hull of a ship. The New Zealand barnacle grows quickly and is resistant to varying salt concentrations and temperatures and turbid water. These characteristics led to Austrominius modestus now being the most common barnacle along our coast.