Scutellastra mexicana
Scutellastra mexicana is a species of true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Patellidae.[1] It is the largest known limpet in the world.[2][3]
| Scutellastra mexicana | |
|---|---|
_-_Patellidae_-_Mollusc_shell.jpeg.webp) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Patellogastropoda |
| Family: | Patellidae |
| Genus: | Scutellastra |
| Species: | S. mexicana |
| Binomial name | |
| Scutellastra mexicana | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Patella mexicana Broderip & Sowerby, 1829 | |
This species has been harvested since pre-Hispanic times. In Mexico, it was harvested heavily in the 1970s and 1980s, leading to closing of the fishery in 1988. However, the harvest has continued, and it is feared that Scutellastra mexicana is in danger of extinction.[2][3]
Description
Scutellastra mexicana can reach 35.5 cm (14.0 in) in length.[3]
Distribution and habitat
Scutellastra mexicana occurs along the American Pacific coast from Mexico to Peru.[2][3] It inhabits lower intertidal and subtidal rocky areas exposed to heavy swells.[3]
References
- Bieler R, Bouchet P, Gofas S, Marshall B, Rosenberg G, La Perna R, Neubauer TA, Sartori AF, Schneider S, Vos C, ter Poorten JJ, Taylor J, Dijkstra H, Finn J, Bank R, Neubert E, Moretzsohn F, Faber M, Houart R, Picton B, Garcia-Alvarez O (eds.). "Scutellastra mexicana (Broderip & G.B. Sowerby I, 1829)". MolluscaBase. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- Carballo, José Luis; Yáñez, Benjamín; Bautista‐Guerrero, Eric; García‐Gómez, José Carlos; Espinosa, Free; Tortolero‐Langarica, José J.A. & Michel‐Morfín, Jesús Emilio (2020). "Decimation of a population of the endangered species Scutellastra mexicana (Broderip and Sowerby, 1829) (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the Marías Island (Eastern Ocean Pacific) Biosphere Reserve". Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 30 (1): 20–30. doi:10.1002/aqc.3239.
- Carballo, José Luis; Bautista‐Guerrero, Eric; Benjamín, Yáñez; Carballo, Luis Rodrigo & García‐Gómez, José Carlos (2023). "Population status of the world's largest limpet, Scutellastra mexicana (Mollusca: Patellidae), on María Madre Island, Mexico: Possible last bastion of a species facing global extinction". Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. doi:10.1002/aqc.3978.
Further reading
- Sean Mowbray (30 August 2023). "Off Mexico's coast, world's largest limpet is slipping into extinction". Mongabay.
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