China Limpet

Patella ulyssiponensis

Patella ulyssiponensis, commonly known as the China limpet, is a marine gastropod mollusk found throughout the Eastern North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. This species features a shell that can reach a maximum size of 50 mm long, 40 mm wide, and 20 mm high. Its shell is characterized by fine radiating ridges that alternate in a distinct pattern of one ridge followed by three ridges. The interior of the shell is often tinged orange towards the apex, while the foot is cream-orange in color, with translucent pallial tentacles arranged in two series of different sizes. It can be distinguished from the similar common limpet, Patella vulgata, by these subtle shell features, although they are otherwise nearly identical in body structure and shell morphology. The China limpet inhabits the benthic zone, typically residing in areas ranging from low tide to depths of 200 meters. It is found in the European Atlantic region, extending north to the North Sea and also in the Mediterranean. This species is commonly collected from the sublittoral zone, making it accessible to divers. During encounters, divers may observe these limpets clinging to rocky substrates, often in intertidal zones or shallow waters. In terms of reproduction, members of the order Archaeogastropoda, to which the China limpet belongs, are mostly gonochoric and engage in broadcast spawning. The embryos develop into planktonic trocophore larvae before transitioning into juvenile veligers and eventually reaching adulthood. In some regions, such as Madeira Island in Portugal, these limpets are harvested for food, cooked with garlic and lemon juice.