Common name: Limpet.

Scientific name: Patella candei DOrbigny, 1840

Family: Patellidae

Distribution and Habitat: Its presence in the region is common. It is an exclusive of the Macaronesian islands and it lives from the intertidal area to approx. 12 m depth.

Description: The average size of the shell is between 30 and 70 mm, though it may sometimes exceed 90 mm. The shell is thin, low and wide with the presence of circular and very subtle growth rings. It has a shiny blue colour on the inside and the animals body is dark with the base of the foot varying from grey to black.

Conservation statute and Threats: -

Observations: Since it has a high commercial value, it is subject to intense non-controlled captures that may lead to a drastic reduction of its population and consequent disappearence as an explorable resource.