Ischnochiton maorianus

Ischnochiton maorianus, sometimes called the variable chiton, is a fast moving species of chiton in the family Ischnochitonidae, endemic to the main islands of New Zealand where it is abundant.

Ischnochiton maorianus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Polyplacophora
Order:
Neoloricata
Suborder:
Ischnochitonina
Family:
Ischnochitonidae
Genus:
Ischnochiton
Species:
I. maorianus
Binomial name
Ischnochiton maorianus
Iredale, 1914
Synonyms

Chiton longicymba Quoy and Gaimard, 1835
Ischnochiton longicymba Suter, 1913

Description and habitat

Medium-sized cigar-shaped chiton up to 50mm in length, dull brown or grey-green, in its northern range frequently mottled in colours ranging from blue to orange. Small grainy riblets cover the outer parts of the valves, the centers being smooth or eroded, a white streak often seen lengthways across the top. The girdle is narrow and may be irregularly banded in dark or light shades. Occurs in sheltered harbours or exposed coasts, from the high intertidal zone to 25m deep, often aggregating in large numbers around the edge of cobbles at the sediment line or just below it.[1]

References
  1. Cook, Steve De C., New Zealand Coastal Marine Invertebrates Vol 1, Canterbury University Press, NZ 2010 ISBN 978-1877257-60-5
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