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Family Patellidae - Patellid limpets
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Order
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Class
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Gastropoda
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No. of Genera in Ref.
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No. of Species in Ref.
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Environment
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Fresh : No |
Brackish : No |
Marine : Yes
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Aquarium
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First Fossil Record
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Remark
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Shell conical, not coiled, bilaterally symmetrical, without apical perforation or marginal slit or groove. Apex central to somewhat anterior. Sculpture more or less developed, essentially radial. Aperture ovate or irregularly polygonal, without a defined internal border. Interior of shell porcelaneous or iridescent, without a calcareous septum but with a horseshoe-shaped muscle scr, interrupted anteriorly. No operculum (Ref. 128042). Head with a strong snout and a pair of tentacles, generally provided with eyes. Foot large, very strong. True gills absent, replaced by a fringe of respiratory tentacles between the internal edge of mantle and the foot. Sedentary animals, common on exposed hard substrates where they clamp tightly by means of their large foot. Mainly intertidal, often occuring in dense populations. Many species exhibit homing behaviour, excavating a shallow scar to which the shell margin conforms exactly, and returning to stick fast to the same spot after foraging for food. Graze on encrusting lichens and algae, or scrape tissue from kelp, with their powerful radula. Sexes separate or hermaphroditic, depending on the species. Fertilization external. Eggs hatching as free-swimming planktonic larvae. Patellidae and other limpets are commonly collected for their edible foot by coastal populations in Southeast Asia and tropical West Pacific islands (Ref. 349).
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Etymology
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Division
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Reproductive guild
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Typical activity level
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Main Ref.
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Coordinator
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