[1] It is a large limpet, endemic to the western Mediterranean Sea, and although common in the past, it is now rare and restricted to only a few locations.

Juveniles have flattened shells which are whitish with dark concentric bands and a small number of broad ribs, giving them star-shaped outlines.

In the past it had a wide range in the western Mediterranean, as evidenced by large shell middens formed by Paleolithic and Neolithic hunter gatherers.

At night and when submerged, it travels to graze on the film of cyanobacteria and young algae that forms on rocks, returning to the same homing site each time the tide recedes.

The limpet faces predation from the crabs Eriphia verrucosa and Pachygrapsus marmoratus, and the dog winkle Stramonita haemastoma.