A familiar sight on rocky shores, the patellid limpets of the genus Patella include just three species in Britain and Ireland: the Common Limpet, China Limpet and Black-footed Limpet. Here Stephen Hawkins, Alan Hodgson and Louise Firth describe the evolutionary and natural history of these species, the threats they face and the need for their conservation.
Limpets are ubiquitous on the rocky shores of Britain and Ireland, and elsewhere in the north-east Atlantic and Mediterranean. Despite their humble appearance, they have a strong influence on the structure of rocky-shore ecosystems, and their biology is truly remarkable.