Limpets and a house on the rocks.

Deisy and I love the beach, we love the rocks and the pools and all the wonderful things you can see in this environment. Although most shelled animals dwelling in the sea or on the shore have either a trap door or some other means of closing tight, the limpet is vulnerable on the bottom, which is the open side of its cone-shaped shell. Gulls and hungry crabs, as well as other enemies, are ever on the watch for an unsuspecting limpet.

With a solid rock footing and a remarkable holding mechanism in its large, muscular foot, this creature can resist capture from nearly all its enemies. When a limper ‘digs in’ and holds on tightly to its rock foundation, it takes more than simply pulling or pushing to remove it. The only way is to slip a knife blade under it, but it has no natural enemies with knife blades, so it needs to only protect itself by hanging on tightly. Moreover, the limpet has lightening fast reflexes, and at the slightest touch or change in pressure on its shell it takes greater hold on the rock.

The conical shape of the shell is a safety feature also. When a large wave strikes the rock on which the limpet is living, the water, instead of acting to remove it, operates to hold the shell even more tightly against the rock.

This can only work when the limpet is on the rock, however. If it strays onto the nearby sand or other loose substances it is lost either in the first wave or to the first enemy lurking nearby. There is little chance of this happening, however, for not only does the limpet stay on the rocks but it has a most remarkable homing ability. It establishes an actual home spot in a particular niche, which the muscular action of its foot wears into a smooth spot, or ‘form’, and to that spot it will return after every foray for food. Limpets usually eat algae, but they will sometimes eat small barnacles and other miscellaneous things that happen to settle on and around their home rock. Their food choice is altogether dull, but the way they gather their food is fascinating.

The limpet’s dependence on a solid footing has obvious spiritual overtones as evident by Jesus’ parable on the wise and foolish builders building respectively on the sand or the rock (Matt 7:24). The limpet is absolutely dependent on a solid footing, as are we. It must constantly be on guard, for unless it has the proper foundation material beneath, it is lost. So are we!