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Common limpet (Patella vulgata)

Limpets are most often seen fixed to the rock, but limpets move around to graze on algae during moist conditions or when they are submerged by the tide. They return to the same spot by following the mucus trail that they deposit. This spot becomes worn by the edges of the shell, and eventually an obvious 'scar' in the rock is created. This helps the limpet to attach even more strongly to the rock, a strategy that protects it from desiccation

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Uploaded on July 20, 2010
Taken on July 20, 2010