Lottia pelta

The Shield Limpet

Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropod
Subclass Prosobranchia
Order Archaeogastropoda
Family Acmaeidae
Genus Lottia
Species pelta

Description: 4 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, 1.5 cm high; cream-colored with black, brown or greenish irregular stripe; shell oval; apex near center with many shallow rounded ribs, sometimes smooth.

Habitat: Usually found on rocks and smooth surfaces from high to low-tide lines. Also found on mussels, under algae and living on numerous marine plants, such as Alaria, Laminarias and encrusting coralline algae.

Natural History: As it slowly travels across a rock, the limpet feeds upon algae and other seaweeds. Using its radula, which is like a thin, flat belt with horny teeth, it scrapes food off the rocks. Its shell color is largely determined by its diet and its substrata. L. pelta are common prey for shorebirds and fish. By returning to the same place to wait out low tides, many species of limpet form a depression in the rock which help it keep a firm hold when attacked.