Lessonii Slipper Shell, Crepidula lessonii
Lessonii Slipper Shell, Crepidula lessonii. Shell collected off the beach of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, June 2018. Size: 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) x 1.9 cm (0.7 inches).
Phylogeny: The Lessonii Slipper Shell, Crepidula lessonii (Broderip, 1834), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Calyptraeidae Family of Cup-and-Saucer and Slipper Shell Family of Shells. The Crepidula Genus is one of eleven genera in the Calyptraeidae Family, and there are forty-eight species in the Crepidula Genus. They are also known as the Lessonii Slipper Shell and in Mexico as Lapa Pantufla de Lesson.
Description: Lessonii Slipper Shells are irregularly shaped, with an ovate profile and a fairly low apex. The exterior sculpting of the shell is a rough and sometimes frilled and/or layered. The exterior of the shell is white in color with reddish brown, radiating lines. The interior is generally white. Some specimens have brown coloration under the apex. The Lessonii Slipper Shells reach a maximum of 2.3 cm (0.9 inches) in length and 1.7 cm (0.7 inches) in height.
Habitat and Distribution: Lessonii Slippers live on and under rocks within the intertidal zone and to depths up to 10 m (35 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species that are found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean with the exception that they are absent from north of Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, along the central and northwest coasts of the Baja Peninsula.
Ecology and Behavior: Lessonii Slippers are suspension feeders that feed primarily on planktonic algae, which they filter from the water by use of their gills. They are protandrous hermaphrodites, beginning life as males and later becoming females. They reproduce sexually, with internal fertilization. Their engagement in any type of commensal, parasitic, or symbiotic relationship has not been formally documented. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated. However, they are fairly common with a relatively wide distribution and should be considered to be of Least Concern.
Synonym: Calyptraea lessonii.