SLIPPER LIMPET |
CREPIDULA FORNICATA |
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| Fig 1 |
DESCRIPTION: 20-50 mm in size. A longish mollusc whose shell has a reduced spire and with an aperture that has a large shelf-like structure. The colour of the shell can be of pale creamy blues, greens and yellows covered with scattered red-brown blotches. The shell is smooth with irregular growth lines. Being a sequential hermaphrodite means that the largest and oldest animals are at the bottom of a chain and these are usually female with the younger ones higher up usually being male. If the females in the chain die, the largest of the males will become a female. DISTRIBUTION: Found on coasts in southern Britain. This species was first introduced to Britain in the late 19th century. HABITAT: On rocky shores attached to rocks and other shells on soft substrata. BEST TIME TO SEE: All year round. |