Species profile
Shield Limpet
Lottia pelta
At a glance
Shield Limpet (Lottia pelta) is a limpet present across the CatchRules coverage area but without species-specific bag, size, or season rules tracked in our regulatory dataset.
Confirmed by 972 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, British Columbia, and Washington the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Pelta is Latin for small shield, reflecting the broad, rounded shape of its shell.
- One of the most abundant and widely distributed limpets on the U.S. Pacific coast.
- Unusually among limpets, it is sometimes found clinging to kelp holdfasts rather than bare rock.
- Ranges from Alaska to Baja California, spanning nearly the entire Pacific coastline.
- Lives in the mid-intertidal zone, balancing feeding time underwater with air exposure at low tide.
Where Shield Limpet are seen
Background
Lottia pelta, common name the shield limpet, is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Lottiidae. It is still designated under its synonym Collisella pelta (Eschscholtz, 1833) in many textbooks.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Shield Limpet article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other limpets on CatchRules
Photo credit: Rathke, 1833, no known copyright restrictions (public domain). Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.