Siphonaria normalis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Siphonaria normalis | |
|---|---|
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| A shell of Siphonaria normalis Gould, 1846 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Siphonariida |
| Family: | Siphonariidae |
| Genus: | Siphonaria |
| Species: | S. normalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Siphonaria normalis Gould, 1846 | |
The False 'Opihi or False limpet otherwise known as Siphonaria normalis is an air breathing sea snail that shares its appearance with true limpets. 'Opihi means limpet in Hawaiian. They are part of the Order of Siphonariidae which are known as false limpets. They live in the mid to upper rocky intertidal zone along the coastlines and can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific regions.
These False limpets have a ribbed shell with a brown and white coloration. They can reach a maximum length of 20mm, but it is usually less than that size in Hawaii.
Reproduction
They lay egg masses, in a spiral formation. When the eggs hatch, the Siphonaria normalis are then in the juvenile stage of their life.
Ecology
Siphonaria normalis or False 'Opihi are grazers that generally consume algae along the rocky intertidal zones. The variety of algae consumed consists of lichens, cyanobacteria, diatoms, microalgae, and foliose macroalgae. As our climate continues to get warmer it causes thermal stress and mortality among the Siphonaria normalis.