About Lottia gigantea

Lottia gigantea, the owl limpet, is a sea snail that is found along rocky inter-tidal regions of the Californian coast. Mature limpets are territorial, often returning to the same location on the rock (the
"home scar
"), to which the shape of the shell becomes extremely well-fitted. Underlying this territoriality is the cultivation of an algal film, across an area proportional to the size of the limpet. Owl limpets defend their
"gardens
" against intruding owl limpets and other species, using a range of tactics including brute force shoving and pinching the intruder's soft-body between shell and rock [1].

L. gigantea has many characteristics that are representative of molluscs and, more generally, lophotrochozoans, and its genome was sequenced alongside two annelids (Capitella teleta and Helobdella robusta) to provide insight into metazoan evolution [2]. The genomic data also promotes the use of this species as a model organism for studies of evolutionary development, ecology, and conservation.

Picture credit (Creative Commons BY 2.0): Jerry Kirkhart 2007

Taxonomy ID 225164

Data source Joint Genome Institute

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