Volcano Keyhole Limpet Shell, Fissurella volcano

Volcano Keyhole Limpet Shell, Fissurella volcano. Shell collected off the beach in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, March 2019. Size: 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) x 1.4 cm (0.6 inches). Collection, photograph and identification courtesy Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

The Volcano Keyhole Limpet, Fissurella volcano (Reeve, 1849), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Fissurellidae Family of Keyhole Limpet Shells. The shell has a high oval profile that tapers slightly at the anterior end, the radial ribs vary from rough to fairly low and the keyhole is just forward of center. Most shells are eroded around the apex. The exterior surface of the shell is pink in color with red to black radial lines; the interior is white to very pale green, with pink around the keyhole. The Volcano Keyhole Limpet Shell reach 3.5 cm (1.4 inches) in length and 2.1 (0.8 inches) in height.

Volcano Keyhole Limpets are found attached to and rocks in the intertidal zone. They range from Northern California to Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur and have not been document in the Sea of Cortez.