Cellana sandwicensis
Encyclopedia
Cellana sandwicensis, common name
the Yellow foot opihi, is a species
of edible true limpet
, a marine
gastropod mollusc in the family
Nacellidae
, one of the families of true limpets.
to the islands of Hawaii
.
C. sandwicensis have been found in Taiwanese coastal waters, possibly spread by larvae transported in ship ballast water.
than Cellana exarata
, the black foot opihi. They are found, strongly attached, sometimes with considerable force, with their foot to rocks or other hard substrates. They feed by grazing on algae.
is situated somewhat lower than the central. The ribs radiate from the central and extend beyond the margin.
.
approved a bill that would have banned the harvest of Opihi (Limpets) on the island of Oahu
for five years. The bill was successfully vetod by governor Linda Lingle
..
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
the Yellow foot opihi, is a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of edible true limpet
Limpet
Limpet is a common name for a number of different kinds of saltwater and freshwater snails ; it is applied to those snails that have a simple shell which is more or less conical in shape, and either is not spirally coiled, or appears not to be coiled in the adult snails.The name limpet is most...
, a marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
gastropod mollusc in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Nacellidae
Nacellidae
Nacellidae is a taxonomic family of sea snails or true limpets, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Patellogastropoda.Nacellidae is the only family in the superfamily Nacelloidea...
, one of the families of true limpets.
Distribution
This species is endemicEndemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the islands of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
C. sandwicensis have been found in Taiwanese coastal waters, possibly spread by larvae transported in ship ballast water.
Habitat
This limpet lives lower in the intertidal zoneIntertidal zone
The intertidal zone is the area that is above water at low tide and under water at high tide . This area can include many different types of habitats, with many types of animals like starfish, sea urchins, and some species of coral...
than Cellana exarata
Cellana exarata
Cellana exarata, common name the Black foot opihi, and Hawaiian blackfoot is a species of edible true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Nacellidae, one of the families of true limpets.-Habitat:...
, the black foot opihi. They are found, strongly attached, sometimes with considerable force, with their foot to rocks or other hard substrates. They feed by grazing on algae.
Description
The large, muscular foot of the animal is yellow in the center but gray on its margin. The white head is short with one pair of tentacles with dark pigments on the backside. The flattened shell is dark green on the outside and silvery white on the inside. Its shape is almost oval and its apexApex (mollusc)
Apex is an anatomical term for the tip of the mollusc shell of a gastropod, scaphopod, or cephalopod mollusc.-Gastropods:The word "apex" is most often used to mean the tip of the spire of the shell of a gastropod...
is situated somewhat lower than the central. The ribs radiate from the central and extend beyond the margin.
Human use
This species is used as a food item. It is considered a higher quality food than the black foot opihi, Cellana exarataCellana exarata
Cellana exarata, common name the Black foot opihi, and Hawaiian blackfoot is a species of edible true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Nacellidae, one of the families of true limpets.-Habitat:...
.
Legislation
In 2009, the Hawaii LegislatureHawaii Legislature
The Hawaii State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state legislature is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Hawaii House of Representatives with 51 representatives, and an upper house, the 25-member Hawaii Senate. There are a total of 76...
approved a bill that would have banned the harvest of Opihi (Limpets) on the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
for five years. The bill was successfully vetod by governor Linda Lingle
Linda Lingle
Linda Lingle was the sixth Governor of Hawaii. Lingle holds a number of distinctions: first Republican elected governor of Hawaii since the departure of William F...
..