Crepidula depressa 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 sea snail

Sea snail

Sea snail is a common name for those snails that normally live in saltwater, marine gastropod molluscs....

, a marine gastropod mollusk 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...

 Calyptraeidae

Calyptraeidae

Calyptraeidae, common name the slipper snails or slipper limpets, cup-and-saucer snails, and Chinese hat snails are a family of small to medium-sized marine prosobranch gastropods...

, the slipper snails or slipper limpets, cup-and-saucer snails, and Chinese hat snails.

Distribution

Crepidula depressa occurs along the Gulf coast of Texas and the Yucatan Peninsula, both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida at least as far north as Lake Worth on the Atlantic coast.

Description

The shell of C. depressa is generally flat and white, ranging from extremely recurved to somewhat convex depending on the habitat of the individual. Those from exposed substrates are often oval and convex. The septum is flat in convex shells and convex in recurved shells, with a notch on the right side where it attaches to the shell. There is also a depression in the center of the septal margin. Muscle scars are absent. The shell is white inside and out, rarely with pinkish-brown streaks. Length up to 4 cm. The translucent white body has opaque white on the tips on the tentacles and the lips and some white spots in the mantle and neck lappets. There is no black pigment on the foot and very little hint of yellow.

The maximum recorded shell

Gastropod shell

The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...

length is 20 mm.

Development

The small eggs produce typical planktotrophic veliger larvae with a smooth, almost planspiral shell at hatching. There are usually at least 100 eggs/capsule, but the number of eggs increases with female size. Average shell length at hatching is 255 microns. The larvae take 3-4 weeks to grow to metamorphosis.

Habitat

Minimum recorded depth is 0 m. Maximum recorded depth is 3 m.
This species lives on shells and inside shells inhabited by hermit crabs. Low intertidal to subtidal.

External links

• http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Crepid_depressa.htm
• http://stri.si.edu/sites/collinlab/tree_species/details.php?id=3