Fissurella maxima
| Fissurella maxima | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fissurella maxima | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Vetigastropoda |
| Order: | Lepetellida |
| Family: | Fissurellidae |
| Genus: | Fissurella |
| Species: | F. maxima
|
| Binomial name | |
| Fissurella maxima Sowerby, 1834
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Fissurella maxima, common name the giant keyhole limpet, is a species of sea snail. It is a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets. [2]
Description
The size of an adult shell can be as small as 50 millimeters, but is usually above 65 mm. The largest specimens are about 138 millimeters. No size-based sexual dimorphism has been found. [3]
Habitat & Distribution
F. maxima occurs in the Pacific Ocean between Ecuador and Tierra del Fuego. It is most commonly recorded in areas with a sea surface temperature of 10–15 °C (50–59 °F). [4] It lives in the intertidal zone, usually on algae or the undersides of flat rocks. [5]
Reproduction
F. maxima is dioecious, with separate male and female sexes. They primarily spawn during late November to December (late spring-early summer), but also have a secondary peak during July and August (winter). [3]
References
- ^ Fissurella maxima G.B. Sowerby I, 1834. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 21 April 2011.
- ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Fissurella maxima G. B. Sowerby I, 1834". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
- ^ a b Bretos, Marta; Tesorieri, Italo; Alvarez, Luis (December 1983). "The Biology of Fissurella Maxima Sowerby (Mollusca: Archaeogastropoda) in Northern Chile. 2. Notes on its Reproduction". The Biological Bulletin. 165 (3): 559–568. doi:10.2307/1541465. ISSN 1939-8697. PMID 29324008.
- ^ "Fissurella maxima | Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS)". obis.org. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
- ^ "Fissurella maxima : fisheries". sealifebase.ca. Archived from the original on 26 April 2025. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
External links
- McLean J.H. (1984) Systematics of Fissurella in the Peruvian and Magellanic faunal provinces (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia). Contributions in Science, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 354: 1–70, p. 49. (29 October 1984) Archived 2 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- "Fissurella (Fissurella) maxima". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 21 April 2011.