Look Alikes
provided by Invertebrates of the Salish Sea
How to Distinguish from Similar Species: Lottia instabilis lives on the stipe of other algae but has a curved aperture to its shell so that it rocks when placed on a flat surface. Lottia pelta may be found on rocks or on seaweed such as Egregia but it is white inside with a brown apical blotch and a dark band around the interior margin of the aperture, its outer surface is mostly bluish and may have strong ribs, and its height is only about 1/2 the width.
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Comprehensive Description
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Biology/Natural History: This species lives only on Egregia. Young limpets seem to orient randomly on the stipe but adults are almost always oriented longitudinally along the stipe. They feed both on epiphytes and on the Egregia itself. Spawns mainly in spring and summer. Has high mortality during the winter--the largest individuals are usually not more than 1 year old. Larvae settle preferentially on large, crowded, post-reproductive Egregia and on fronds which already have adults. They grow fastest if they settle on scars made by older limpets. This species runs away quickly if it contacts a seastar such as Pisaster ochraceus.
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Distribution
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Geographical Range: Wrangell Island, Alaska to Bahia Magdalena, Baja California. Abundant in central and N. California but rare north of Oregon.
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Habitat
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Depth Range: Low intertidal zone, open coast.
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Comprehensive Description
provided by Invertebrates of the Salish Sea
This small limpet has an apex at the highest point of the shell and slightly forward of center. It may be nearly oval or may be elongated with the right and left margins of the shell nearly parallel for a distance. The limpet is tall, with the height about 3/4 the width. The exterior of the shell is dark brown and usually smooth. The interior of the shell is brown. It lives on the stipe of Egregia, which it erodes.
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Habitat
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Lives on stipes of the brown seaweed Egregia
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Discurria insessa
provided by wikipedia EN
Discurria insessa, common name the seaweed limpet, is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Lottiidae.
Description
The size of the shell varies between 10 mm and 38 mm.
Distribution
This marine species occurs from South Alaska to Baja California, Mexico
Ecology
D. insessa is believed to live only on Egregia menziesii (feather boa kelp). Young limpets seem to orient randomly on the stipe but adults are almost always oriented longitudinally along the stipe. D. insessa feed both on epiphytes and on the Egregia itself. D. insessa spawns mainly in spring and summer. There is high mortality during the winter—the largest individuals are usually not more than 1 year old. Larvae settle preferentially on large, crowded, post-reproductive Egregia and on fronds which already have adults. They grow fastest if they settle on scars made by older limpets. This species runs away quickly if it contacts a seastar such as Pisaster ochraceus.[1]
References
- Nakano T. & Ozawa T. (2007). Worldwide phylogeography of limpets of the order Patellogastropoda: molecular, morphological and paleontological evidence. Journal of Molluscan Studies 73(1): 79–99
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Discurria insessa: Brief Summary
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Discurria insessa, common name the seaweed limpet, is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Lottiidae.
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