It lives exclusively on gorgonians in the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

[3] Conopea galeata is found in the southeastern United States, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico where it grows on the sea whip Leptogorgia virgulata,[4] which is found growing on reefs and rocks at depths down to about 20 m (66 ft).

Besides C. galeata, these include a small shrimp Neopontonides beaufortensis, a nudibranch Tritonia wellsi, a bivalve mollusc Pteria colymbus, two species of copepod and a gastropod mollusc Simnialena uniplicata.

[6] However, the larvae of C. galeata settle on the old egg masses of the snail S. uniplicata, before drilling down to the gorgonian's axis and anchoring themselves in place.

[5] When the egg mass has disintegrated, the coenenchyme grows to envelop the barnacle, apart from a narrow opening.