PATELLA FROM SPAIN

[Carlos Galan]

Hello, this Patella come from Samil beach, in Vigo, north of Spain, atlantic coast, in 15-July-2010.

Does anyone knows the specie?

Thanks.

[wolfi]

Hi,
might be Patella ulyssiponensis Gmelin, 1791. This species is rather variable with several subspecies (aspera, bonardii and so on......).
Kind regards: wolf

[Emma]

I initially agree with Wolf, but can you tell me if it has stripes. If you look in the inside can you see a black or brown band leading from the spire to the outer lip and then a white band, and then a black band, etc. This is a characteristic of the P. ulysiponensis from the Tarragona area. Not that I find them very often; more often than not I find P. caerula, and not many P. vulgata. I always thought P. ulysiponensis was more predominent in the Canary Island area.

Best wishes,

Emma.

[Carlos Galan]

Thakns a lot Wolfi and Emma.

It has the black an withe stripes that Emma tell, but are not very clear.