Pointed Slipper Limpet, Crepidula excavata

Pointed Slipper Limpet, Crepidula excavata. Size: 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) x 1.6 cm (0.6 inches).

The Pointed Slipper Limpet, Crepidula excavata (Broderip, 1834), is a member of the Calyptraeidae Family of Cup-and-Saucer and Slipper Limpet Shells Family, that is known in Mexico as caliptreido babucha and pique del Pacifico, have a shell with somewhat tear-drop profile. The apex can be large and curved like a parrot beak and the internal “shelf” is set well below the shell’s margin. They can vary in color being white with tinges of brown, pink and/or yellow. Some individuals have brown lines or spots. The Pointed Slipper Limpet Shells reach a maximum length of 3.5 cm (1.4 inches).

The Pointed Slipper Limpets are found in the intertidal zone to depths up to 25 feet and often found attached to larger snail shells. They are found throughout the Sea of Cortez, and extend south to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands.

A synonym is Calyptrea excavata.