A loco cannot hide completely inside the shell if it is turned upside down, so has no need of its operculum; instead, it relies on its strong foot to remain in place.

[5] Its geographic distribution ranges from Lobos de Afuera in Peru, to Cape Horn in Chile, including the Juan Fernández Islands.

[7] In central Chile, females lay egg capsules on low intertidal and shallow subtidal rocky surfaces during southern autumn months.

Its economic value and ecological importance as top predator have made it the most studied marine invertebrate species in Chile.

[10] On the Chilean coast, C. concholepas is one of the most important edible mollusc species and is a major product of the aquacultural industry.

Currently, the only legal way for artisan fishermen or other people to catch locos is to have a Marine Area of Benthonic Resources Extraction permit.

Populations have shrunk and a recent study shows extraction is making an artificial selection to eliminate faster-growing individuals.

In Chilean cuisine, the meat of the foot of these snails is cooked and eaten with mayonnaise or as a chupe de locos soup in an earthenware bowl.