#22 Chiton
Common Name: Chiton
Description
- About 10 cm in length and oval in shape
- It has eight linearly overlapping plates
- Their shells can be either dull or brightly coloured
- When threatened the chiton will roll into a ball
- The mantle is found beneath the shell
- The gridle (lower edge of the mantle) extends bellow the the shell and helps the foot with gripping
- In some species the mantle is smooth and covered in scales, hairs or spines that give the animal a different appearance
- The mouth, located on the ventral surface in front of the foot contains a radula
- Most chitons are herbivores
- Most eat during the night and spend the day time under rock ledges
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Anamilia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Polyplacophora
Order: Neoloricata
Family: Chidonidae
Genus: Chiton
Ecology
- Sea urchins have spines for protection and some chitons live among the sea urchins and use this for protection from their predators
- Their valves are mostly made out of calcium carbonate
- Each its valves are shaped like a butterfly
- The foot and gridle are separated by a special groove and within the groove; you can find the chiton's gills
- The opening at the end of the digestive track is where the anus is located
- An adult chiton's head does not have any eyes or tentacles for it to use as sensory organs
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