Cyanoplax keepiana

Cyanoplax keepiana
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Polyplacophora
Order:	Chitonida
Family:	Lepidochitonidae
Genus:	Cyanoplax
Species:	C. keepiana
Binomial name
Cyanoplax keepiana S.S. Berry, 1948
Synonyms
Lepidochitona keepiana Ischnochitona keepiana

Cyanoplax keepiana observed at White Point Beach in San Pedro, California in November, 2023.

Cyanoplax keepiana, also known as Keep's chiton, is a species of chiton native to the Pacific coast of North America. ^[1] According to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro, Keep's chiton has "brilliant blue markings on its plates that can only be appreciated with a hand lens". ^[2] These small chitons, less than an inch long (18 mm), are usually found in fairly warm water in sandy or rocky tide pools located between Cayucos, California, ^[3] and the Revillagigedo Islands of Mexico. ^[4]

This species was described to science by S. Stillman Berry in 1948. ^[5]

References

1. "Cyanoplax keepiana (Keep's Chiton)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
2. "Southern California Species: Chitons". Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
3. Light, Sol Felty (2007). The Light and Smith Manual: Intertidal Invertebrates from Central California to Oregon. University of California Press. p. 711. ISBN   978-0-520-23939-5.
4. Sept, J. Duane (2023-07-29). The New Beachcomber's Guide to Seashore Life of California: Completely Revised and Expanded. Harbour Publishing. ISBN   978-1-990776-08-3.
5. MolluscaBase eds. (2024). MolluscaBase. Cyanoplax keepiana (S. S. Berry, 1948). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=386417 on 2024-03-28