Common slipper shell

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Common Slipper Shell
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Order: Neotaenioglossa Family: Calyptraeidae Genus: Crepidula Species: C. fornicata
Binomial name
Crepidula fornicata[1]

The Common Slipper Shell (Crepidula fornicata) has a high, rounded shell. It is a common gastropod found intertidally to a depth of 40 feet (12 m). They are found on horseshoe crabs, rocks, and dock pilings often in piles:

These gastropods are often found in stacks where the bottom shell is the female and the top one is the male. The shells in the middle have undergone a sex change and are hermaphrodites. They are, therefore, able to fertilize each other. These shells are quite prolific and have become a nuisance to boat owners.^[2]

[edit] Other Common Names Include

• Common Atlantic slippersnail
• Boat Shell
• Quarterdeck Shell

[edit] External links

• Common Atlantic Slipper Shell:Master/Mistress of Metamorphosis
• Crepidula fornicata
• Global Invasive Species Database

[edit] References

1. ^ ITIS classification. ITIS.gov.
2. ^ Andrew J. Martinez (2003). Marine Life of the North Atlantic: Canada to New England. Aqua Quest Publications. Retrieved on February 17, 2007.