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Greg
Jody
E.G.D.Rough Keyhole Limpet: A Ready-made Ornament
Posted by Jody on August 30, 2012
Rough Keyhole Limpet (Diodora aspera)
The rough keyhole limpet (Diodora aspera) is a species of marine snail, having a small oval opening at the top (slightly to the front) of its short, conical shell. This interesting seashell looks a bit like a small volcano.
Rough keyhole limpets live along the Pacific coast in the rocky intertidal zone from Alaska, south to Baja California, Mexico. They can grow up to 2 ¾ inches in length. Their exterior may be white or shades of gray, striped with purplish-gray to brown rays. The “rough” in its name indicates the texture of the shell’s exterior, as course ribs radiate out from the hole. However, the interior surface of a rough keyhole limpet is smooth and white.
Rough Keyhole Limpet (interior)
Greg and I found this rough keyhole limpet seashell on the shores of Newport, Oregon back in December 2006, and we decided to make the lovely beach treasure into a Christmas ornament. It holds happy memories of a trip to the Pacific Northwest, has the perfect, ready-made hole for a bright red ribbon, and is the just the right size for a small Christmas tree. All that, and we simply couldn’t beat the price!
A happy memory for our Christmas tree!
Priceless.
Ruth said
love this – I have a whole bowl of these kind of shells washed up on a North Cornish beach
Jody said
Ruth, thanks! We have a wrought iron “tree” that we keep out year round. It’s full of little natural souvenirs from our travels.