Tonicella undocaerulea

Tonicella undocaerulea, commonly known as the blue lined chiton, is a species of chiton.

Blue lined chiton
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Polyplacophora
Order: Chitonida
Family: Ischnochitonidae
Genus: Tonicella
Species:
T. undocaerulea
Binomial name
Tonicella undocaerulea
Sirenko, 1973

Size and description

The blue lined chiton has a head plate with zigzag white (may be blue when alive) concentric lines without a dark border. It commonly has bright electric blue stripes and flecks when alive. The girdle is hairless and brown to red or pink, often with yellow or white mottling.[1]

Similar species

Tonicella lineata is very similar but has a dark border to the concentric blue lines on the anterior plate. Tonicella lokii is also similar but has radiating bands on the girdle. Mopalia spectabilis looks superficially similar due to its bright blue wavy lines on the valves, but has a hairy girdle.

Distribution and habitat

The natural range of T. undocaerulea stretches from Kodiak, Alaska to Point Conception, California. It is commonly found on rocks in low intertidal and shallow subtidal waters.[2]

Biology

This chiton grazes on corralline algae.[2]

gollark: Yes.
gollark: Strictly speaking, you can also use it for ender chests, and sacrifiical altars.
gollark: The cabling is annoying, and also if you ever shut it down it's impossible to reactivate.
gollark: Yes.
gollark: Triple stacked fusion reactors in a compact machine, 500kRF/t.

References
  1. Baldwin, A. (2007). Illustrated Keys to the chitons (Polyplacophora). Accessed from: "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2007-12-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. O'Clair, R.M. and C.E. O'Clair. (1998). Southeast Alaska's Rocky Shores. Plant Press: Auke Bay, Alaska. 563 pp.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.