Scutellastra argenvillei | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Patellogastropoda |
Family: | Patellidae |
Genus: | Scutellastra |
Species: | S. argenvillei
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Binomial name | |
Scutellastra argenvillei (Krauss, 1848)
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Synonyms | |
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Scutellastra argenvillei or Argenville's limpet, is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Patellidae, one of the families of true limpets.[1]
It is endemic to the south and west coasts of Namibia and South Africa in southern Africa.[2]
It is a large and relatively tall limpet, with an oval base, slightly narrower at one end, with a maximum size of about 90 mm. The outer surface has fine radiating ridges, and the apex is commonly eroded. Inner surface is generally white.[2]
This limpet is abundant on moderately exposed shores in the low inter-tidal and shallow subtidal zone on the west coast of South Africa, but is being displaced by the invasive Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. The lower inter-tidal zone in this area is also referred to as the Cochlear-Argenvillei zone.[3] It feeds on kelp by trapping the edge of fronds under the edge of its shell while feeding.[2]