Cellana sandwicensis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow-foot ʻopihi |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| (unranked): |
clade Patellogastropoda
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| Superfamily: |
Lottioidea
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| Family: |
Nacellidae
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| Genus: |
Cellana
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| Species: |
C. sandwicensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Cellana sandwicensis |
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The Cellana sandwicensis, commonly called the yellow-foot ʻopihi, is a type of edible sea snail. It is a true limpet, which is a kind of gastropod mollusc found in the ocean. This amazing creature belongs to the Nacellidae family, which includes many true limpets.
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Where It Lives
This special limpet is found only in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. This means it is endemic to Hawaii. "Endemic" means that an animal or plant lives naturally in only one specific place in the world.
Sometimes, C. sandwicensis has been found in coastal waters near Taiwan. Scientists think this might happen if their tiny young (larvae) travel across the ocean in the water that ships carry for balance, called ballast water.
Its Home and Habits
The yellow-foot ʻopihi lives in the lower part of the intertidal zone. This is the area along the coast that is covered by ocean water during high tide and exposed to the air during low tide. It prefers to live lower down than another type of limpet, the black-foot ʻopihi.
These limpets attach themselves very strongly to rocks or other hard surfaces using their muscular foot. They can hold on with a lot of force! They eat by scraping and grazing on tiny algae that grow on the rocks.
What It Looks Like
The yellow-foot ʻopihi has a large, strong foot. The center of its foot is yellow, while the edges are gray. Its head is short and white, with two small feelers (tentacles) that have dark spots on the back.
Its shell is somewhat flat and looks almost oval. The outside of the shell is dark green, and the inside is shiny silvery-white. The highest point of the shell, called the apex, is a little off-center. The shell also has ridges that spread out from the center, reaching past the shell's edge.
How People Use It
People in Hawaii often collect and eat the yellow-foot ʻopihi. It is considered a very tasty food. Many people think it tastes even better than the black-foot ʻopihi.
Protecting the ʻOpihi
In 2009, lawmakers in Hawaii tried to pass a rule to protect ʻopihi. This rule would have stopped people from collecting ʻopihi on the island of Oahu for five years. The idea was to give the ʻopihi population a chance to grow bigger.
However, the governor at the time, Linda Lingle, did not agree with the rule. She used her power to stop the bill from becoming a law. This is called a veto.
- Gallery
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This picture shows the top view of the shell.
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This picture shows the bottom view of the shell.
- Severns, M. (2011). Shells of the Hawaiian Islands - The Sea Shells. Conchbooks, Hackenheim. 564 pp. page(s): 36
