The slipper limpet normally lives in stacks of up to 12 individuals, with the largest at the bottom and increasingly smaller animals on each other's backs. They live on the seabed out beyond the low tide mark, but empty shells can often be found washed up on beaches. Accidentally introduced from North America in a shipment of oysters, it is now a serious pest of oyster and mussel beds.
How to identify
Unmistakeable, slipper-shaped, oval shell. Normally pale creamy in colour with blotches of orangey-red.
Did you know?
At the base of the stack, the largest and oldest slipper limpets are female, with the younger and smaller males on top. However, if the females die, the largest male will turn into a female.
How people can help
It is important to monitor the spread of non-native species around UK shores. Slipper limpets are currently well established around southern England and Wales and have been recorded as far north as Anglesey on the West Coast and Spurn Point in on the East. Patchy records exist for Scotland and Northern Irish Sea. Report any slipper limpet sightings (e.g. whilst diving or shells found on the shore) to your local Wildlife Trust.
