Slipper Limpet by durleybeachbum
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
Crepidula fornicata, in this case eaten away by the Burrowing Sponge, Cliona celata.
this is one of our Alien Invaders, doing rather too well on our South Coast
Lots of further info about this American import here
www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesinformation.php?speciesID=3086
Another view here 
Slipper limpets are unusual in that they live attached to each other in a pile, and as the females at the bottom die, the males reaching the bottom of the pile become female!
Slipper limpets are unusual in that they live attached to each other in a pile, and as the females at the bottom die, the males reaching the bottom of the pile become female!
Comments (16)
Really interesting, never heard of that. Great shot!
So first we get their squirrels now the limpets, I expect to see Obama on the 381 bus next week LOL!
Superlative image !!!!
OHH!! It is beautiful and very interesting. Wonder how big it is.
Limpets are such odd critters; and they are among my favorites. I did a bit of research on them for a bunch of still-unwritten stories, as I was looking for the biological triggers behind their age/proximity related sex changes. Needless to say that the volume of information on limpet biology makes a telephone book look like an anemic pamphlet for people with AAD. I love the textures. Funny how alien invasions work: but then all it really takes is the bottom of a boat...
LOL @ Ronnie! Payback for the merseybeat bands we were inundated with in the 60s, so there! Really we've been stealing the red squirrels all these years, we're sequestering them up in guerilla camps in Canadia until there are enough to unleash back on the UK to infect everyone with fried food addictions. We'll set them loose on the 381 so they can get to every little part of the island... I've seen many shells like this, but never knew what they actually were. Lots of them on the So. Cal. beaches when I was a kid. Cool shot!
So, Limpets are natural transsexuals? Don't let our fake-o Christian Conservatives know about this. Their heads would explode. Some very attractive patterns on that shell. Nice shot.
most interesting
Thanks for the link with info, very interesting and nice closeup!
Fantastic looking shell Andrea. I've never seen one in this state before :)
'Males reaching the bottom of the pile become female!'.............half their luck! Very interesting Andrea.
Interesting and super patternation.
Superb capture Andrea. Somehow i did not receive a notification of your upload. God bless.
fascinating, I've never seen one like this in person. Amazing combination of life-forces. The shell, as it stands, is like a very old fossil of an egg from a prehistoric bird, which has been eaten away by erosion, age and microorganisms. THe underside---in your flickr version---is even stranger, and it takes a minute to realize it's a shell. Fasinating shots, very clear, and your use of near-black background is quite effective to set off this strange creature's remains. Beautifully done, in both shots.
I love the design from the Burrowing Sponges but I also have a problem with invasive species invading and destroying plants and animals.
miracle!