Stromboli Keyhole Limpet Shell, Stromboli beebei

Stromboli Keyhole Limpet Shell, Stromboli beebei. Shell collected off the beach of Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, April 2023. Size: 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) x 1.7 cm (0.7 inches) x 0.9 cm (0.4 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato.

Stromboli Keyhole Limpet Shell, Stromboli beebei. Shell collected off the beach of San Juancio, Baja California Sur, February 2023. Size: 2.7 cm (1.1 inches) x 1.9 cm (0.7 inches) x 1.2 cm (0.5 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato.

Stromboli Keyhole Limpet Shell, Stromboli beebei. Shell collected off the beach of San Juancio, Baja California Sur, February 2023. Size: 2.8 cm (1.1 inches) x 1.9 cm (0.7 inches) x 1.0 cm (0.4 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato

Phylogeny: The Stromboli Keyhole Limpet Shell, Stromboli beebei (Hertlein & A.M. Strong, 1951) is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Fissurellidae Family of Keyhole Limpets. The genus Stromboli is one of forty-five genera in this family, and this is the only species in this genus. The name Stromboli refers to the name of a volcanic island off the coast of Sicily.

Description: The Stromboli Keyhole Limpet Shell has an ovate outline, which usually  narrows at the anterior.  They have a high conical profile. The posterior slope is  often convex, while the anterior slope is fairly flat. The orifice is ovate and set forward. The posterior end of the callus is truncate. The exterior is sculpted with fine cancellate ridges. These shells may be gray, brown, or reddish-brown in color, often with darker radiating bands. The interior is white. Stromboli Keyhole Limpet Shells reach a maximum length of around 6.8 cm (2.6 inches).

Habitat and Distribution: Stromboli Keyhole Limpet Shells are found on sand, rocks, and rubble. They are a moderately deep water species, living between 66 m (216 feet )and 183 m (600 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species. In Mexican waters they range from Punta Abreojos, Baja California Sur to Guatemala. They extend into the Gulf of California as far north as Bahía San Carlos, Sonora.

Ecology and Behavior:  Stromboli Keyhole Limpet Shells are a poorly studied and understood species. There is very limited documentation of their diet, predation, reproduction or ecosystem interactions. Most other species in Family Fissurellidae are herbivorous grazers that feed primarily on algae, though some are spongivores or detritivores.  They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, through broadcast spawning, with external fertilization. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated however they are fairly common with a relatively wide distribution and should be consider to be of Least Concern.

Synonyms: Fissurella beebei