"Patella Vulgata"
A limpet on beautifully polished Old Red Sandstone Rock , near Sandy Haven.
Limpet are dome-shaped molluscs , with a muscular foot providing phenomenal grip on the
rockface . At night they graze on the thin form of algae that forms on rocks , using an organ
called - radula ("tongue") ,extruded from the mouth .While grazing, they produce a trail of
slime. After grazing they follow the trail back to the same spot. Here they eventually gouge
out a depression , known as scars. On very hard rocks it adapts the edge of the shell to fit .
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.Limpet shells tend to be flatter on unsheltered beaches
Ref: 2326
Date: 31/03/2008
Location: sandy Haven
