Acmaea mitra

Acmaea mitra, common name the whitecap limpet, is a species of sea snail or true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Acmaeidae, one of the families of true limpets.

Acmaea mitra
A live individual of Acmaea mitra. The shell is covered in encrusting red coralline algae, which is why it appears to be pink
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Patellogastropoda
Superfamily:	Lottioidea
Family:	Acmaeidae
Genus:	Acmaea
Species:	A. mitra
Binomial name
Acmaea mitra Rathke, 1833
Synonyms
Scurria mitra (Rathke, 1833) superseded combination

Taxonomy

Acmaea mitra was placed in the family Acmaeidae for many years, but based on molecular phylogeny evidence by Nakano & Ozawa (2007)^[1] Acmaeidae was synonymized with Lottiidae. However, this synonymy was subsequently found incorrect, having been the result of contaminated samples, and Acmaea mitra and a related species, Niveotectura pallida form a well-supported clade outside of the Lottiidae, and Acmaeidae was re-established.^[2]

Acmaea mitra is the type of the genus Acmaea^[3]

Description

The length of the shell varies between 12 mm and 38 mm.

Distribution

Distribution

This species occurs in the Pacific Ocean between Alaska and Baja California, Mexico.

References

1. Nakano, T. & T. Ozawa (2007). "Worldwide phylogeography of limpets of the order Patellogastropoda: molecular, morphological and palaeontological evidence". Journal of Molluscan Studies. 73 (1): 79–99. doi:10.1093/mollus/eym001.
2. Nakano, T. & T. Sasaki (2011). "Recent advances in molecular phylogeny, systematics and evolution of patellogastropod limpets". Journal of Molluscan Studies. 77 (3): 203–217. doi:10.1093/mollus/eyr016.
3. Gofas, S. (2009). Acmaea Eschscholtz, 1833. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2009) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137616 on 2010-03-30

• Rosenberg, G. 1992. Encyclopedia of Seashells. Dorset: New York. 224 pp.
• Nakano T. & Ozawa T. (2007). Worldwide phylogeography of limpets of the order Patellogastropoda: molecular, morphological and paleontological evidence. Journal of Molluscan Studies 73(1): 79–99.

External links

• Rathke H. (1833). Zoologischer Atlas, enthaltend Abbildungen und Beschreibungen neuer Thierarten, während des flottcapitains v. Kotzebue zweiter reise un die welt, auf der russisch-kaiserlichen kriegsschlupp Predpriaetië in den jahren 1823-1826. Berlin: G. Reimer. Bd. 5. S. viii+1-28
• Hanna, G. D. & Smith, A. G. (1931). Notes on Acmaea funiculata (Carpenter). The Nautilus. 45(1): 21-25, pl. 2

• 
  apical view
• 
  basal view