Patella candei

Patella candei, also known as the sun limpet, is a species of sea snail, a true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Patellidae, one of the families of true limpets.

Description

The naturalist Alcide d'Orbigny named the gastropod after Ferdinand de Candé.
The size of the shell varies between 20 mm and 80 mm.

Distribution

This species occurs in the Atlantic Ocean off the Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira and the Savage Islands.

Human use

Both Patella candei and Patella aspera are harvested for human use, mainly in the Portuguese Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira. They are primarily eaten grilled with butter and garlic as the delicacy Lapas grelhadas.