Patella vulgata (common limpet)
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Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Archaeogastropoda
Family: Patellidae
Growing to a maximum size of 60mm P.vulgata is the largest limpet to be found around the Essex coast. It is a slow growing species that lives up to 15 years. A protandrous hermaphrodite it becomes female at about 4 years old.
The shell profile can vary depending on the age of the individual and the area of shore that it inhabits. Young specimens and adults that inhabit low shore areas or in areas of strong wave action have a low shell profile to prevent them from being torn from the rock. Older specimens and in particular those found higher on the shore and in areas of low wave action have a more steeply conical shell shape.
P.vulgata grazes on green marine alga and the sporelings of some brown marine alga. It is well documented that this species is responsible for limiting the spread of Ulva lactuca and removes a large part of each season’s fucoid settlement.
After each grazing foray each individual returns to a home base ready for low tide conditions. If the substrate is harder than the shell of the limpet e.g. granite then the edge of the shell is worn down to precisely fit the contours of the rock. If the substrate is softer, such as limestone, then the rock itself is worn away and limpet shaped scars can be found in these areas left by dead limpets.
Although the Essex coastline is naturally soft, being predominantly sandy beaches, mud flats and salt-marsh, the introduction of any hard structure, such as sea defences, into the intertidal zone provides a habitat for P.vulgata.
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