How are limpets formed?

Harris rock is too hard however; the grinding action wears the shell instead until the edges of the shell perfectly match the rock surface. You can see limpets moving about and grazing in rock pools - if the pool has a thin carpet of sand you can see the track made as it moved along. limpet 1.jpg Limpet (Photo: Paul Tyler). read more

Limpets are simply to be found in places rich in algae on most rocky shores. Because of the cup-shaped shells, the small gastropods, most of which attain only few inches in size, are easily recognised. read more

Although all limpets are members of the class Gastropoda, limpets are highly polyphyletic, meaning that the various groups that we call "limpets" have descended independently from different ancestral gastropods. read more

Using its muscular foot, the common limpet is able to form such a tight bond to its home rocks that it is very difficult to pry off. In addition to protection from predation, the shape of the shell and strength with which it can adhere to the rocks serve two additional purposes for the common limpet. read more