Comprehensive Description
provided by Invertebrates of the Salish Sea
Lottia pelta is very similar in appearance to Tectura scutum. The shell is generally dark and blotchy; it may be checkered with white. Internally, the shell is bluish white with a dark apical blotch. They grow to a length of 40 mm, and the apex is located central in the shell.
- license
- cc-by-nc-sa
- copyright
- Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory
Habitat
provided by Invertebrates of the Salish Sea
L. pelta is generally found in more protected locations on the rocks.
- license
- cc-by-nc-sa
- copyright
- Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory
Habitat
provided by Invertebrates of the Salish Sea
Depth Range: Low to middle intertidal zones
- license
- cc-by-nc-sa
- copyright
- Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory
Look Alikes
provided by Invertebrates of the Salish Sea
How to Distinguish from Similar Species: Lottia pelta can be easily confused with Tectura scutum. The distinguishing difference is the relative height of L. pelta as compared to the flat shell of T. scutum. Molecular evidence being prepared in 2008 suggests that from Monterey Bay southward the limpets identified as Lottia pelta are actually a sibling species.
- license
- cc-by-nc-sa
- copyright
- Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory
Distribution
provided by Invertebrates of the Salish Sea
Geographical Range: Alaska to Baja California.
- license
- cc-by-nc-sa
- copyright
- Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory
Comprehensive Description
provided by Invertebrates of the Salish Sea
Biology/Natural History: The Lottia pelta diet consists of a large variety of both red and brown algae including Endocladia, Iridaea, Egregia, and Postelsia. However, it is most often associated with brown algae. These animals feed mainly at high tide, but do not feed at every high tide. Studies have shown that there is little competition for food between species of limpets. Perhaps this is due to slightly different enzymes and diets. Actually, even the diets of two individuals of the same species may vary according to the algae most available. It is in part this variability that accounts for the large variety of shell patterns and coloration. L. pelta has a definite and largely successful defense response to three species of predatory sea stars. The limpet
- license
- cc-by-nc-sa
- copyright
- Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory
Lottia pelta
provided by wikipedia EN
Lottia pelta, common name the shield limpet, is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Lottiidae. It is still designated under its synonym Collisella pelta (Eschscholtz, 1833) in many textbooks.
Distribution
The shield limpet is found in the intertidal zone on rocks and kelp holdfast from Alaska to Baja California.[1] The largest specimens occur in the northern part of the range.
Description
This shell of this species grows to a width of between 2.5 and 5.4 cm on a broadly elliptical to oval base. It is only moderately elevated. The apex is tilted toward the front end and the sides of the shell are slightly convex. The color of the shell is grayish with irregular, radial stripes. When Lottia pelta moves among substrata the morphology and the color of its shell changes. The ontogenetic record of its past habitats is preserved in the shell structure. The species found on kelp holdfasts have darker shells with obscure ribbing.[2]
The sculpture of the shell is smooth or with irregular, fine radial riblets. Occasionally they become heavy ribs.
The interior of the shell has about the same color as the exterior. There is a dark brown central spot. The base of the interior is marked by alternating dark and light spots.
One of its predators is Ocenebra lurida (Middendorff, 1849), a murex snail.
References
- license
- cc-by-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Wikipedia authors and editors
Lottia pelta: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
Lottia pelta, common name the shield limpet, is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Lottiidae. It is still designated under its synonym Collisella pelta (Eschscholtz, 1833) in many textbooks.
- license
- cc-by-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Wikipedia authors and editors
