Lottia antillarum

Lottia antillarum is a species of limpet or sea snail in the family Lottiidae. It is commonly known as the Antilles limpet.

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Gulf of Mexico, in the Caribbean Sea, and off the Lesser Antilles.

Description

• Size: They typically range from 10 to 28 mm in length.
• Geographic Range: This species is found in the Western Atlantic, including the Florida Keys, the West Indies, and northern South America.
• Habitat: They are commonly found in the littoral zones of the Caribbean, including Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and Jamaica.

Biology

Like other members of the order Patellogastropoda, Lottia antillarum is typically a broadcast spawner. Its life cycle progresses from embryos to planktonic trochophore larvae, then to juvenile veligers, and finally to adults.

The species was first described by George Brettingham Sowerby I in 1834. Its conservation status has not yet been assessed by the IUCN Red List.

References

• Nakano T. & Ozawa T. (2007). Worldwide phylogeography of limpets of the order Patellogastropoda: molecular, morphological and paleontological evidence. Journal of Molluscan Studies 73(1): 79–99.