Summary ⁹

The common slipper shell, Crepidula fornicata, has many common names including common Atlantic slippersnail, boat shell, quarterdeck shell, fornicating slipper snail, and it is known in Britain as the "common slipper limpet". This is a species of medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Calyptraeidae, the slipper snails and cup and saucer snails.

Description ¹⁰

 The shell is oval, up to 5 cm in length, with a much reduced spire. The large aperture has a shelf, or septum, extending half its length. The shell is smooth with irregular growth lines and white, cream, yellow or pinkish in colour with streaks or blotches of red or brown. Slipper limpets are commonly found in curved chains of up to 12 animals. Large shells are found at the bottom of the chain, with the shells becoming progressively smaller towards the top.Crepidula fornicata is a non-native species. The modern British population is known to have been introduced to Essex between 1887 and 1890 in association with oysters, Crassostrea virginica, imported from North America (Fretter & Graham, 1981; Eno et al., 1997).

Link to Access Genetic Data ¹¹

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=176853&lvl=0

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Bernadette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bernadette
2. (c) Crabby Taxonomist, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/crabby_taxonomist/7216483468/
3. (c) Biopix, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/PhotosMedium/JCS%20Crepidula%20fornicata%2015139.jpg
4. (c) Biopix, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/PhotosMedium/JCS%20Crepidula%20fornicata%2015138.jpg
5. (c) James Shelton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by James Shelton
6. (c) Matthew O'Donnell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Matthew O'Donnell
7. (c) cyric, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by cyric
8. (c) Eric Heupel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/eclectic-echoes/9780256026/
9. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepidula_fornicata
10. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c)  The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/10657603
11. (c) Emily Rose Sharkey, all rights reserved

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• NBN Atlas
• SeaLifeBase
• World Register of Marine Species

Range Map

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