Sunday, August 7, 2022

Common Slipper (Searsport, Maine)

Crepidula fornicata

I had the chance to poke around in the intertidal zone today with Tim and Tom Davis. we found LOTS of really big slipper shells near the low tide line.

The Common Slipper is native to the shores of the Eastern US, but has been introduced in many other parts of the world. They prefer sheltered areas of bays, down to a depth of 70 meters. They feed on plankton and detritus.

They can get up to 2 inches in size. They are a species of sea snail, with a shelf-like structure inside the shell.

There is much variability in the shape of their shells with some being much more arched than others. The animal is a serial hermaphrodite…young animals are usually male, but shift to female when the conditions and their size is right. They are often found in columns of animals, with the older (female) ones at the bottom of the column and the small males at the top. As the older females at the bottom die, the remaining ones near the bottom will shift to females if they haven’t already.