Limpets are aquatic snails with a shell that is broadly conical in shape and a strong, muscular foot.
Although all limpets are members of the class Gastropoda, limpets are polyphyletic, meaning the various groups which are referred to as 'limpets' have descended independently from different ancestral gastropods. This general category of conical shell is known as 'patelliform' (dish-shaped). All members of the large and ancient marine clade, patellogastropoda are limpets. Within that clade, the patellidae family in particular are often referred to as 'true limpets'.
Other groups, not in the same family, are also called limpets of one type or another, due to the similarity of their shells' shape. Examples include the Fissurellidae ('keyhole limpet') family, which is part of the Vetigastropoda clade (many other members of the Vetigastropoda don't have the morphology of limpets) and the Siphonariidae ('false limpets'), which use a siphon to pump water over their gills.
Some species of limpet live in fresh water, but these are the exception.
[
"Ecology",
"Zoology",
"Intertidal zone",
"Fishery",
"Mollusca",
"Gastropoda",
"Osilinus lineatus",
"Patella caerulea",
"Siphonaria capensis",
"Lepetodrilidae",
"Patella ulyssiponensis",
"Megathura crenulata",
"Patelloida alticostata",
"Siphonaria denticulata",
"Nacella delesserti",
"Williamia",
"Siphonaria lessonii",
"Lottiidae",
"Nacella",
"Spongites yendoi",
"Tectura testudinalis",
"Cellana toreuma",
"Bathyacmaea",
"Ferrissia rivularis",
"Siphonariidae",
"Patellogastropoda",
"Patella aspera",
"Crepidula onyx",
"Lepetodrilus elevatus",
"Acroloxus",
"Siphonaria lessoni",
"Acroloxidae",
"Neolepetopsidae",
"Patella sp.",
"Cymbula oculus",
"Laevapex fuscus",
"Fissurella latimarginata",
"Patellidae",
"Scutellastra",
"Helcion pectunculus",
"Nacellidae",
"Fissurella limbata",
"Patelloida",
"Patella vulgata",
"Lottia gigantea",
"Tectura scutum",
"Siphonaria diemenensis",
"Lottia scutum",
"Cellana nigrolineata",
"Patella depressa",
"Nacella deaurata",
"Fissurella cumingi",
"Helcion",
"Lepetelloidea",
"Cellana",
"Patella rustica",
"Scutellastra granularis",
"Cellana ornata",
"Cellana radiata",
"Tesseropora rosea",
"Patella intermedia",
"Siphonaria zelandica",
"Margarella antarctica",
"Siphonaria",
"Cellana tramoserica",
"Limatula",
"Lepetodrilus",
"Diodora aspera",
"Notoacmea",
"Patelloida latistrigata",
"Siphonaria pectinata",
"Lepetodrilus fucensis",
"Lottia digitalis",
"Latia neritoides",
"Siphonaria japonica",
"Cellana testudinaria",
"Trimusculus",
"Siphonaria gigas",
"Patella ferruginea",
"Cellana grata",
"Patella candei",
"Collisella",
"Cellana sandwicensis",
"Lottia pelta",
"Clathromorphum circumscriptum",
"Lottia",
"Fissurella crassa",
"Cymbula granatina",
"Siphonaria compressa",
"Cymbula",
"Cellana karachiensis",
"Scurria viridula",
"Burnupia stenochorias",
"Fissurella maxima",
"Trimusculus reticulatus",
"Ferrissia",
"Fissurella"
]
