Limpet
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
A limpet is a marine Mollusk of the class Gastropoda. They are somewhat like snails, but have flatened, cone-shaped shells. They live on rocky coasts of most oceans. Limpets can be commonly found attatched to rocks at low tide, looking like little disks or bumps on the surface of the rock. They create suction with their shell to keep them attatched to the rock and to protect them from dessication. When the tide returns, limpets lift their shells and continue to graze on algae. Limpets gather food into its mouth with a radula, a ribbon-like tongue with rows of teeth.
Limpets have a muscular foot that clamps the body firmly by suction. It also uses this foot for locomotion. Its enemies are humans. At high tide the limpet moves over rocks in search of seaweed. Most limpets have a protective shell. Most shells are cone shaped. Some kinds have a hole at the top, but some do not have it. Most limpets are less than 3 inches (8 cm) long, but a West Mexican Limpet grows to be 8 inches (20 cm). At low tide limpets are easy to find.
Sometimes a Limpet Mine is refered to as a Limpet.
