Siphonaria pectinata possesses an oval, limpet-like shell that is white to cream-tan in color with numerous radial brown stripes. Examined from above, the apex is slightly off-center with respect to both x-axis and y-axis midlines. As with other members of the family, the underside of the shell exhibits a c-shaped muscle scar (often indistinct) that opens to one side. The underside also shows a shallow siphonal groove that passes through the open end of the muscle scar.Members of the Siphonariidae family are not true limpets. They are a distinct gastropod family exhibiting an evolutionarily convergent (unrelated species exhibit similar form and function) shell morphology well suited for life on wave-swept rocky intertidal shorelines.