About Tectura virginea (O.F.Müller, 1776)
Tectura virginea, the white tortoiseshell limpet, is smaller than the related tortoiseshell limpet Testudinalia testudinalis. It reaches a maximum length of 15 millimeters and a maximum height of 6 millimeters.
Its shell is white and marked with purplish bands that radiate from the apex. The apex is tilted forward, and sits about one third of the total length along the shell. The soft flesh of the limpet is creamy colored or pale pink. It has a broad, oval foot, and its head bears a pair of long tentacles, with tiny black eyes located near the base of these tentacles.
This species is found on the north-west coasts of Europe, ranging from Norway south to the Mediterranean Sea, and including the North Sea. It inhabits the neritic zone from below the low water mark down to a depth of around 100 metres. It prefers rock pools and smooth rocks covered in encrusting red algae of the genus Lithothamnion, which it feeds on.
