[2] Its habitat borders a close relative, Pollicipes polymerus, a gooseneck barnacle covering the coastline of the Pacific Northwest.

Pollicipes elegans is a stalked marine organism characterized by having a plated capitulum shaped similar to a goose head.

However, there are stretches of coastline along Central America where increased atmosphere and water temperatures have prevented dispersal of P. elegans populations.

[5] Though barnacle-type organisms are typically found on the hulls of ships or floating decks, P. elegans does not commonly exhibit this behavior.

The closest extinct relative, Pollicipes aboriginalis, resided in western regions of Australia, inhabiting an eastern coastline of the Indian Ocean.

The entire organism cannot be consumed whole because of the hard shell of the capitulum and the leathery skin of the stalk, both must be removed completely for consumption.