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The four greeen animals stacked on top of each other in this tide pool have the scientific name of Crepidula fornicata. They are commonly known as slipper limpets, although they are more closely related to periwinkles than they are to other limpets.
     Slipper limpets are protandric hermaphrodites. Those which reside at the bottom of these piles, which can be a dozen or more deep, are older slippers which are all female. Young slippers are male and they join these piles at the top. The slipper limpets in middle of the piles are changing sex from male to female.
     It is thought that each slipper limpet in a pile is one year younger than the one below it. The piles are stationary, as the slippers feed by filtering nutritious particles out the water which flows by.
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