This barnacle forms part of Chilean cuisine.
Its meat is highly prized and is one of the ingredients of the Chilean dish curanto.
This is traditionally made from various seafood ingredients cooked in a large pit preheated with red-hot stones.
Modern cooking methods use a large pot, conventionally heated.

Overfishing has reduced the quantities of Austromegabalanus psittacus available for commercial harvesting.
There are plans to cultivate it along the coast of Chile and there are possibilities of exporting it to Japan.

In addition to humans, it is sometimes eaten by the sea star Heliaster helianthus and the clingfish Sicyases sanguineus, although the latter only can prey on small animals (large Austromegabalanus psittacus are apparently safe).
This barnacle forms part of Chilean cuisine. Its meat is highly prized and is one of the ingredients of the Chilean dish curanto. This is traditionally made from various seafood ingredients cooked in a large pit preheated with red-hot stones. Modern cooking methods use a large pot, conventionally heated.
Overfishing has reduced the quantities of Austromegabalanus psittacus available for commercial harvesting. There are plans to cultivate it along the coast of Chile and there are possibilities of exporting it to Japan.
In addition to humans, it is sometimes eaten by the sea star Heliaster helianthus and the clingfish Sicyases sanguineus, although the latter only can prey on small animals (large Austromegabalanus psittacus are apparently safe).
Austromegabalanus psittacus