Plate Limpet (Lottia scutum)

Description: The plate limpet has a short shell height with very thin edges. Their color can be tan, brown, dark gray, or various shades of green. Whatever the color, they often have spots or stripes or both. They normally get to 5 cm long but can sometimes reach 6 cm.

Habitat: Plate limpets prefer rocks in the mid to low intertidal zone. They range from Alaska to California and can also be found in Japan.

Diet: Using their strong radula (tongue lined with teeth), they graze microalgae and coralline algae off of the rocks.

Tide Pool Tidbits:

• These limpets are inactive when out of the water.

• When sea stars like the ochre or sunflower star are nearby, these limpets are known to run away.

References: Walla Walla University, The New Beachcomber’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest by J Duane Sept