Red-colored Keyhole Limpet Shell, Fissurella rubropicta
Red-colored Keyhole Limpet Shell, Fissurella rubropicta. Shell collected off the beach in the greater Cabo San Lucas area, Baja California Sur. March 2014. Size: 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) x 1.4 cm (0.6 inches). Collection, photograph and identification courtesy Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
Phylogeny: Red-colored Keyhole Limpet Shell, Fissurella rubropicta (Pilsbry, 1890), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Fissurellidae Family of Keyhole Limpets. The genus Fissurella is one of forty-five genera in this family, and there are fifty-five species in this genus. They are also known as the Red-painted Keyhole Limpet, and in Mexico as Lapa Pintado de Roja.
Description: The Red-colored Keyhole Limpet Shell has an ovate outline and a fairly high, conical, profile. The shell is slightly wider in the center and narrower at both ends. The oval keyhole is set slightly forward of the shell’s center. The exterior is sculpted with rough, radial ribs. The exterior of the shell has black and red ribs on a white background. The interior of mature shells is white with red or purple staining around the keyhole. Immature specimens are pale green, with red around the keyhole. Red-colored Keyhole Limpet Shells reach a maximum length of 3.0 cm (1.2 inches) in length and 1.7 cm (0.7 inches) in height.
Habitat and Distribution: Red-colored Keyhole Limpet Shells are found attached to rocks in the intertidal zone, and to depths up to 35 m (115 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species. In Mexican waters they range from Cedros Island, Baja California to Guatemala. They are found throughout the Gulf of California.
Ecology and Behavior: Red-colored Keyhole Limpet Shells are herbivorous grazers that feed primarily on algae. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, through broadcast spawning, with external fertilization. There is no mention in the available literature of them engaging in any types of parasitic, commensal, or symbiotic relationships. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated however they are fairly common with a relatively wide distribution and should be considered to be of Least Concern.
Synonyms: None