limpet

Limpets are marine gastropod mollusks that belong to the order Patellogastropoda. They are characterized by a simple, cap-shaped shell with a broad base and an apex near the front edge. The underside houses a large, muscular foot that enables strong adhesion to rocks and other hard substrates, allowing the animal to withstand wave action.

Limpets occur worldwide, primarily in the intertidal and shallow subtidal zones of rocky shores. They are herbivores, grazing on algae and biofilm on rock surfaces. Feeding is carried out with a radula, a toothed tongue-like organ that scrapes material from the rock as the animal slowly moves.

Behaviorally, many limpets exhibit homing, returning to a preferred position after grazing and sealing the opening of the shell during desiccating low tides. Reproduction is typically sexual with external fertilization; eggs and sperm are released into the water, and embryos develop into free-swimming veliger larvae before settling as juveniles. Some species may show direct development instead of a free-swimming larval stage.

Taxonomically, true limpets belong to Patellogastropoda, a group distinct from other limpets that resemble them morphologically. Genera include Patella, Lottia, and Acmaea, among others, with species adapted to a range of coastal environments. Conservation concerns for limpets focus on habitat degradation, pollution, and effects of climate change on intertidal ecosystems, though many species remain common in suitable habitats.