| Chiton olivaceus | |
|---|---|
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| Dorsal view of Chiton olivaceus from Sicily. Museum specimen | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Polyplacophora |
| Order: | Chitonida |
| Family: | Chitonidae |
| Genus: | Chiton |
| Species: | C. olivaceus |
| Binomial name | |
| Chiton olivaceus Spengler, 1797 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Chiton olivaceus, the green chiton, is a species of chiton, a marine polyplacophoran mollusk in the family Chitonidae, the typical chitons. [1] [2]
Chiton olivaceus can reach a length of 32–40 millimetres (1.3–1.6 in) and a width of about 16 millimetres (0.63 in). These large chitons have carinate plates with strong ribs. The shell is oblong and oval. In the front and rear plates ribs have a radial pattern. The intermediate valves show a sharp beak and rounded sutural plates. Colors are very variable, ranging from olive-gray (hence the common name) to yellow-brown, sometimes black, orange, red or yellow. The girdle surrounding all of the valves is quite large and covered by bristles and scales. [3] [4] [5]
The teeth of these grazers of algae [6] are composed of magnetite,[ citation needed ] the hardest material usable by a living being.
This species is common in the Mediterranean sea around Italy and Greece, but can also to be found in the nearby Atlantic Ocean. [7]
Chiton olivaceus occur on a solid substrate, particularly stones and rocks, in the zones of sweeping of the waves, at a low depth. [3]
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