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Opihi remains a popular food item however they live along rough coastline and can be dangerous to gather. | ||||||
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Black Footed Limpet or Opihi Makaiauli |  | ||||
Description • The "blackfoot" opihi is the most common species found along basalt or volcanic rock shorelines. It is endemic which means they are found no where but Hawaii. Like other snail it has a head with eyes and tentacles and a mouth tube. A broad muscular foot is used for clinging and crawling, and their soft body mass is protected by their shell which grows to a size of approximately 3 inches. The opihi shell was used as a scraping tool by ancient Hawaiians. Habitat • The opihi lives within the splash zone and seaward where the low tide occurs. Using their muscular foot they cling to the rock surface like a suction cup. They have a low profile and center of gravity, and the ribs and grooves help spread the force of the crashing waves. Diet •. The limpet feeds on the crust-like pink calcareous algae. | |||||
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