Lottia digitalis (finger limpet)

Found on large rocks especially at the top in the mussel beds.

Limpets consist of a head with two tentacles and a soft body. Muscles attach the body to the shell. Gills are set in between the shell attachment and the body. The shell is cone-shaped with the point not necessarily centered. They are known for incredible strength. Using the foot (the soft part they move on) they can hold onto a rock so tightly that a strong man cannot move them without leverage. It’s much easier to remove a chiton from a rock than a limpet!

Limpets are very hard to classify. If the shell is white and looks like a hand with fingers, it’s probably Lottia digitalis, the finger limpet.

Finger limpets live on large rocks where they lodge themselves in spaces between barnacles. You can see unoccupied areas where they have grazed.