Fissurella maxima
Species of South American gastropod
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fissurella maxima, common name the giant keyhole limpet, is a species of sea snail. It is a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets. [2]
| Fissurella maxima | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fissurella maxima | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Vetigastropoda |
| Order: | Lepetellida |
| Family: | Fissurellidae |
| Genus: | Fissurella |
| Species: | F. maxima |
| Binomial name | |
| Fissurella maxima Sowerby, 1834 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description
The size of an adult shell can be as small as 50 millimeters, but is usually above 65 mm. The largest specimens are about 138 millimeters. No size-based sexual dimorphism has been found. [3]
Habitat & Distribution
F. maxima occurs in the Pacific Ocean between Ecuador and Tierra del Fuego. It is most commonly recorded in areas with a sea surface temperature of 10–15 °C (50–59 °F). [4] It lives in the intertidal zone, usually on algae or the undersides of flat rocks. [5]
