Whitecap Limpet

Acmaea mitra

Acmaea mitra is a small marine gastropod with a shell that can range from 12 mm to 38 mm in length. The shell is characterized by its high pointed cone shape and is typically white and smooth, often covered with pink coralline algae. This species can be found in the Pacific Ocean, inhabiting areas from Alaska down to Baja California, Mexico. It prefers low intertidal zones and shallow subtidal areas, often clinging to rocks that are encrusted with coralline algae. Divers may encounter this limpet at depths of up to 30 meters, although most records indicate it is found shallower than 10 meters. As a herbivorous species, the Whitecap Limpet primarily feeds on red and pink coralline algae. Its reproductive strategy involves being gonochoric and a broadcast spawner, with embryos developing into planktonic trochophore larvae before maturing into juvenile veligers. Encounters with this limpet during dives can be quite common, especially in areas where coralline algae are abundant, providing divers with a glimpse of its unique shell and behavior. The conservation status of Acmaea mitra has not been evaluated by the IUCN, so its population trends remain unknown. However, it is recorded at numerous dive sites, indicating its presence in various marine environments along the Pacific coast.