| Fissurella maxima | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fissurella maxima | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Vetigastropoda |
| Order: | Lepetellida |
| Family: | Fissurellidae |
| Genus: | Fissurella |
| Species: | F. maxima |
| Binomial name | |
| Fissurella maxima Sowerby, 1834 | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Fissurella maxima, common name the giant keyhole limpet, is a species of sea snail. It is a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets. [2]
The size of an adult shell can be as small as 50 millimeters, but is usually above 65 mm. The largest specimens are about 138 millimeters. No size-based sexual dimorphism has been found. [3]
F. maxima occurs in the Pacific Ocean between Ecuador and Tierra del Fuego. It is most commonly recorded in areas with a sea surface temperature of 10–15 °C (50–59 °F). [4] It lives in the intertidal zone, usually on algae or the undersides of flat rocks. [5]
F. maxima is dioecious, with separate male and female sexes. They primarily spawn during late November to December (late spring-early summer), but also have a secondary peak during July and August (winter). [3]
