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Common Limpet

The common limpet’s shell is very hard, making it tough for predators to break! These intertidal snails are most active during wet, calm conditions and typically wait to move until the tide is over them or the exposed surface is very damp.

 

The common limpet lives along the rocky shores of Western Europe, inhabiting the intertidal zone (the area along the shore between the high tide and low tide sea levels). It has a thick, conical shell that can reach up to 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) long and a strong, muscular foot. The surface of its shell is typically a grayish-white, occasionally with a yellow tint with rough ridges, while the sole of the foot ranges from dull shades of yellow and orange to brown with a gray or green hue.  

These herbivorous snails primarily feed on algae and micro-organisms that they find while creeping along the surface of rocks. After feeding, common limpets like to return to their ‘home scar’ – a custom sized and shaped depression in the rock that’s formed from abrasion between the rock and their shell, resulting in a tighter fit to the rock. 

Common limpets reproduce through a behavior known as broadcast spawning, where several females release eggs and several males release sperm into the water at the same time. This method increases the likelihood that eggs will become successfully fertilized and that fertilized eggs will not be eaten by nearshore egg predators.  

 

 

Due to their small size, common limpets are highly sensitive to changes in their environment. Pollution, oil spills, habitat degradation, and climate change are all threats these creatures face. 

 

 

 Protecting our ocean and keeping it free of pollution benefits marine animals like the common limpet. Oceana works to protect marine habitats and creatures like the common limpet by campaigning to end offshore drilling that can spill oil into our waters, urging world leaders to tackle the climate crisis, and to protect 30% of oceans by 2030.

 

 

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