This keyhole limpet is variable in colour, commonly orange, black or white, and has a mantle that can almost completely cover its shell. The shell is white and oval, and completely covered in small pits. It is similar in appearance to keyhole limpets in the genus Amblychilepas, and particularly A. nigrita. It can be distinguished by the pits on the shell, if visible, and by the animal itself, which is a rather shapeless blob, while Amblychilepas is recognisably slug-shaped.
