# Lottia pelta

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Species of gastropod

Lottia pelta Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Subclass: Patellogastropoda Family: Lottiidae Genus: Lottia Species: L. pelta Binomial name Lottia pelta (Rathke, 1833) Synonyms Acmaea (Collisella) pelta (Rathke, 1833) (unaccepted combination) Acmaea cassis pelta Rathke, 1833 (unaccepted rank) Acmaea pelta Rathke, 1833 (original combination) Collisella (Collisella) pelta (Rathke, 1833) Collisella pelta Eschscholtz, 1833 Patella (Acmaea) pelta (Rathke, 1833) (unaccepted combination) Patelloida cassis pelta (Rathke, 1833) (unaccepted combination)

***Lottia pelta***, [common name](/source/Common_name) the **shield limpet**, is a [species](/source/Species) of [sea snail](/source/Sea_snail), a true [limpet](/source/Limpet), a [marine](/source/Marine_(ocean)) [gastropod](/source/Gastropod) [mollusk](/source/Mollusk) in the family [Lottiidae](/source/Lottiidae).[1]

It is still designated under its synonym *Collisella pelta* (Eschscholtz, 1833) in many textbooks.

## Distribution

The shield limpet is found in the [intertidal zone](/source/Intertidal_zone) on rocks and [kelp](/source/Kelp) holdfast from [Alaska](/source/Alaska) to [Baja California](/source/Baja_California). The largest specimens occur in the northern part of the range.[2]

## Description

This shell of this species grows to a width of between 2.5–5.4 cm (0.98–2.13 in) on a broadly elliptical to oval base. It is only moderately elevated. The apex is tilted toward the front end and the sides of the shell are slightly convex. The color of the shell is grayish with irregular, radial stripes. When *Lottia pelta* moves among substrata the [morphology](/source/Morphology_(biology)) and the color of its shell changes. The [ontogenetic record](/source/Ontogeny) of its past habitats is preserved in the shell structure. The species found on kelp holdfasts have darker shells with obscure ribbing.[3]

The sculpture of the shell is smooth or with irregular, fine radial riblets. Occasionally they become heavy ribs.

The interior of the shell has about the same color as the exterior. There is a dark brown central spot. The base of the interior is marked by alternating dark and light spots.

The species are dominant [littoral](/source/Littoral) [herbivores](/source/Herbivores), and consume a variety of microscopic and large algae.[4] They are vulnerable to [hyposalinity](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hyposalinity) stress,[5] and have a role in resisting warming related changes to [intertidal](/source/Intertidal) [ecosystem](/source/Ecosystem) composition.[6]

One of its [predators](/source/Predator) is *[Ocenebra lurida](/source/Ocenebra_lurida)* (Middendorff, 1849), a [murex](/source/Muricidae) snail.

		- apical view

		- basal viewing

		- in-situ

## Lifecycle

Shield Limpets reproduce by seasonal [broadcast spawning](/source/Spawning#Open_substrate_spawner), males and females releasing [gametes](/source/Gametes) into the water column where external fertilization occurs. The fertilized eggs develop into free-swimming [trochophore](/source/Trochophore) [larvae](/source/Larvae) and then into [planktonic](/source/Planktonic) [veliger](/source/Veliger) larvae, which disperse for days to weeks in coastal waters. When development is complete, the larvae settle onto suitable rocky [intertidal](/source/Intertidal) substrates and undergo [metamorphosis](/source/Metamorphosis) into [benthic](/source/Benthic) juveniles. The young limpets begin grazing on [microalgae](/source/Microalgae), grow into conical-shelled adults, and typically establish a home scar (a preferred resting site) to which they return after feeding. Adults spawn after reaching sexual maturity, completing the life cycle.[7]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-WoRMS_1-0)** [*Lottia pelta* (Rathke, 1833)](http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=456602). 23 February 2026. Retrieved through: [World Register of Marine Species](/source/World_Register_of_Marine_Species).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Lottia pelta"](https://inverts.wallawalla.edu/Mollusca/Gastropoda/Prosobranchia/Order_Patellogastropoda/Family_Lottiidae/Lottia_pelta.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com). *Invertebrates of the Salish Sea*. Walla Walla University. Retrieved 22 February 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Sorensen F. E.; [Lindberg D. R.](/source/David_R._Lindberg) (1991). "Preferential predation by American black oystercatchers on transitional ecophenotypes of the limpet *Lottia pelta* (Rathke)". *[Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology](/source/Journal_of_Experimental_Marine_Biology_and_Ecology)*. **154** (1): 123–136. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/0022-0981(91)90078-B](https://doi.org/10.1016%2F0022-0981%2891%2990078-B).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Abbott, Donald P.; Haderlie, Eugene C. (1980). "Prosobranchia: Marine Snails". In Morris, R. H.; Abbott, D. P.; Haderlie, E. C. (eds.). *Intertidal Invertebrates of California*. Stanford, California, US: Stanford University Press. pp. 230–307. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8047-1045-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8047-1045-7).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Coyle, Theraesa; Emry, Sandra; Kordas, Rebecca L.; Harley, Christopher D. G. (2025-12-08). Alison M. Derry (ed.). "Salinity controls rocky intertidal community structure via suppression of herbivory". *Ecology*. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/ecy.70271](https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fecy.70271).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Kordas, Rebecca L.; Donohue, Ian; Harley, Christopher D. G. (2017-10-11). "Herbivory enables marine communities to resist warming". *Science Advances*. **3** (10) e1701349. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1126/sciadv.1701349](https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fsciadv.1701349).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Hadfield, Michael G.; Strathmann, Megumi F. (1996). ["Variability, flexibility and plasticity in life histories of marine invertebrates"](https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00094/20490/18160.pdf) (PDF). *Oceanologica Acta*. **19** (3–4): 323–334.

## External links

- Turgeon, D.; Quinn, J. F.; Bogan, A. E.; Coan, E. V.; Hochberg, F. G.; Lyons, W. G.; Mikkelsen, P. M.; Neves, R. J.; Roper, C. F. E.; Rosenberg, G.; Roth, B.; Scheltema, A.; Thompson, F. G.; Vecchione, M.; Williams, J. D. (1998). [*Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: mollusks*](https://archive.org/details/commonscientific0000unse_t5k1). American Fisheries Society Special Publication. Vol. 26 (2nd ed.). Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society. pp. IX, 526 + cd-rom. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.47886/9781888569018](https://doi.org/10.47886%2F9781888569018). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-888569-01-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-888569-01-8). Retrieved 2026-02-24.

- Rathke, H. (1833). [*Zoologischer Atlas, enthaltend Abbildungen und Beschreibungen neuer Thierarten, während des flottcapitains v. Kotzebue zweiter reise un die welt, auf der russisch-kaiserlichen kriegsschlupp Predpriaetië in den jahren 1823-1826*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/56520113). Berlin: G. Reimer. p. 19.ie

- Habe, T.; Ito, K. (1965). "New genera and species of shells chiefly collected from the North Pacific". *Venus*. **24** (1): 16–45. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.18941/venusjjm.24.1_16](https://doi.org/10.18941%2Fvenusjjm.24.1_16).

- Nakano T. & Ozawa T (2007). ["Worldwide phylogeography of limpets of the order Patellogastropoda: molecular, morphological and paleontological evidence"](https://doi.org/10.1093/mollus/eym001). *Journal of Molluscan Studies*. **73** (1): 79–99.

- Gulbin, V. V.; Chaban, E. M (2012). ["Annotated list of shell-bearing gastropods of Commander Islands. Part I."](http://rfems.dvo.ru/images/rfems/bulletin/vol_015_016/article_01.pdf) (PDF). *The Bulletin of the Russian Far East Malacological Society*. 15–16.{{[cite journal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_journal)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list))

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Lottia pelta](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Lottia_pelta).

Taxon identifiers Lottia pelta Wikidata: Q3197815 BOLD: 103734 CoL: 3W7WR EoL: 579014 GBIF: 2297854 iNaturalist: 63243 IRMNG: 10707890 ITIS: 567823 NatureServe: 2.971302 NCBI: 72692 OBIS: 456602 Open Tree of Life: 539505 SeaLifeBase: 2128 WoRMS: 456602 Collisella pelta Wikidata: Q15701482 GBIF: 2297872 IRMNG: 11202431 ITIS: 69693 Observation.org: 940231 SeaLifeBase: 2941 WoRMS: 714743 Acmaea pelta Wikidata: Q109556875 GBIF: 5191401 ITIS: 69694 Paleobiology Database: 90502 WoRMS: 714741

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