What's In a Critter's Name? 17. Goose barnacle

Nobody had ever seen a migratory Barnacle goose nest or lay eggs. Folk, consequently, decided they must emerge, by spontaneous generation, from Goose barnacles (Lepas anatifera), attached to the wooden hulls of sailing ships. This edible crustacean effectively got its name, because its shell looks a little like the goose's head.