Patella aspera

Patella aspera is a species of limpet, a type of sea snail in the family Patellidae. Long considered to be a subspecies of Patella ulyssiponensis, genetic evidence supports its recognition as a separate species.[1] It is native to Macaronesia.[1] It is known by the common name Azorean limpet, and its local name is lapa brava.[2]

Patella aspera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Patellogastropoda
Superfamily:
Patelloidea
Family:
Patellidae
Genus:
Patella
Species:
P. aspera
Binomial name
Patella aspera
Röding, 1798

Description

Patella aspera has a pentagonal, flattened shell with deeply indented margins. It is sculpted with numerous, semi-regular furrows that radiate from the apex, which is slightly forward of the central point. The exterior of the shell is light brown and the interior is white to bluish-white, delimited by a brown band. The mantle is edged with translucent tentacles and the foot is yellow or orange. This limpet has a maximum length of about 8 cm (3 in) and a lifespan of eight years for females and nine years for males.[3]

Distribution

Patella aspera is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is common in the Azores and the coast of Portugal. Its most northerly limit is northern Scotland,[4] and its easternmost limit is the Isle of Wight.[5] It occurs on rocks and in rock pools in the littoral zone.[4]

Ecology

This species lives on rocks in the shallow sublittoral and intertidal zones. It is a keystone species which is of ecological importance as a grazer.[2] Breeding takes place all year round, with a peak of activity in the winter, from January to April.[3]

It is collected for food. Overharvesting is the main threat to the species, which has faced population declines and collapse of its fishery. Harvest has been banned in some areas.[2] Overharvest is particularly damaging to the species because larger individuals are targeted, and these are more likely to be female. The species is protandric, with individuals being born male and often becoming female with age. The loss of the individuals that grow large enough to turn female leaves the population without enough breeding females.[6]

References
  1. Weber, L. I., and S. J. Hawkins. (2005). Patella aspera and P. ulyssiponensis: genetic evidence of speciation in the North-east Atlantic. Marine Biology 147(1) 153–162.
  2. Background document for Azorean limpet, Patella aspera. OSPAR Convention Biodiversity Series 2010.
  3. Sousa, Ricardo; Delgado, João; Pinto, Ana Rita; Henriques, Paulo (2017). "Growth and reproduction of the north-eastern Atlantic keystone species Patella aspera (Mollusca: Patellogastropoda)". Helgoland Marine Research. 71 (8). doi:10.1186/s10152-017-0488-9.
  4. C.H.R. Heip; B.F. Keegan; J.R. Lewis (2012). Long-Term Changes in Coastal Benthic Communities: Proceedings of a Symposium, held in Brussels, Belgium, December 1985. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 41–57. ISBN 978-94-009-4049-9.
  5. "Sheppey Cliffs and Foreshore citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  6. Faria, J., et al. (2015). A new multiplexed microsatellite tool for metapopulation studies in the overexploited endemic limpet Patella aspera (Röding, 1798). Animal Genetics, 46(1), 96–97.
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