>Are limpet radulae more likely to cause health problems (apparently gastro-intestinal problems, from what I can gather) than other radulae? Are ingested radulae a known cause of health problems for people who consume Littorina, for example? Or Helix?<
The problem is that the radulae are relatively large and hard to digest. As a result, eating lots of whole limpets produces a ball of radulae in the stomach and a tummyache.
I found a pile of chitons and radulae in the Bahamas, which suggest that the locals avoid those as well. My guess is that anythign with a relatively large radula is better eaten without it.
Dr. David Campbell
Old Seashells
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That is Uncle Joe, taken in the masonic regalia of a Grand Exalted Periwinkle of the Mystic Order of Whelks-P.G. Wodehouse, Romance at Droigate Spa