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Common limpet
Patella vulgata
Limpets are a familiar feature of rocky shores. They can be found clinging to hard surfaces, forming characteristic indentations known as scars. They are keystone species are important in keeping algal levels under control.
Life span
Limpets living on bare rock grow slowly, but may live for around 15 years. If food is abundant, they grow faster but may only survive 2-3 years.
Statistics
They are up to 6cm in diameter and 3cm high.
Distribution
The common limpet is a temperate species, found from Norway, through Europe to Portugal.
Habitat
Limpets are abundant on rocky shores, where they attach to rocks or other hard substrates.
Diet
Limpets are herbivores, grazing on the thin form of algae that forms on rocks and weed. They will also graze on settling larvae if small enough to eat.
Behaviour
Adult limpets usually return to the same area of rock after feeding. They form a small depression, known as a scar, by rubbing against the rock. This scar ensures a tighter fit for the shell, helping the limpet avoid desiccation.
Limpets are active foragers and wander around the rocks when the tide is in. They use chemical cues to follow their own mucus track back to their home point. They sometimes use the edge of the shell like a bulldozer to scrape away at rocks and algae.
Reproduction
Limpets are hermaphrodites (producing both male and female reproductive cells) and undergo sex change during life. They mature as males at about 9 months of age, but after a couple of years they change sex to become female.
Spawning occurs once a year, usually during winter, and is triggered by rough seas which disperse the eggs and sperm. Larvae are pelagic for a couple of weeks before settling onto a hard substrate.
Conservation status
Limpets are considered to be a keystone species of rocky shores because they keep algal levels in check. They are not considered to be endangered.
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