Talcum limpet
Cellana talcosa
- Water temperature25–26 °C
- Best monthsMay, June, and July
- How commonRare
Photo credit: no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist
About this species
Cellana talcosa, the talc limpet or turtle limpet is a species of true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Nacellidae, which is one of the true limpet families. This species is endemic to the Hawaiian islands, where its common name is koele or opihi ko'ele. It is the largest limpet found in the Hawaiian islands and can reach 4 in (100 mm) in diameter.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Cellana talcosa”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 3 records
- February: 2 records
- March: 2 records
- April: 0 records
- May: 4 records
- June: 5 records
- July: 4 records
- August: 2 records
- September: 2 records
- October: 3 records
- November: 0 records
- December: 1 records
Depth and water temperature
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 25–26 °C
Photos
(c) nmoorhatch, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) nmoorhatch, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Lexi Amico, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Talcum limpet, Giant 'Opihi, talcum limpet
Names in 2 more languages
- German
- Talkum-Napfschnecke
- Japanese
- ギンイロカサガイ
Other scientific names: Patella talcosa
Similar species
Variegated limpetCellana tramoserica
Denticulate LimpetCellana denticulata
Black limpetCellana exarata
Japanese Grata LimpetCellana grata
Ornate LimpetCellana ornata
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 130 open-data records from 1914 to 1975.
- Species data updated November 1, 2026.
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