| Family: |
Lottiidae (lottiid limpets) |
| Max. size: |
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| Environment: |
benthic; marine |
| Distribution: |
Eastern Central Pacific: USA to Mexico. |
| Diagnosis: |
Light brown shell with whitish checks on the edge of the shell. The brown areas are slightly higher than the white spots. The peak of the shell is near the anterior margin. It has a brownish, bluish discoloration on the inside of the empty shell resembles the outline of an owl (Ref. 312). |
| Biology: |
It has a shell length of 10 cm (Ref. 312). Occurs on bare areas of rocks in the high to middle intertidal zones. Herbivorous, scrapes diatoms and algae off the rocky surface with their radula. Exhibits territorial behavior. Large animals are females and tend to 'farm' particular rock faces. If another limpet trespasses on this territory, female attacks by inserting its shell margin underneath the edge of the invader's shell and pries the invader off the rock. The smaller males are not territorial. When males reach a critical size they transform into females and begin farming (Ref. 312). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
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| Threat to humans: |
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| Country info: |
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