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Plaxiphora egregia | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Polyplacophora |
Order: | Chitonida |
Family: | Mopaliidae |
Genus: | Plaxiphora |
Species: | P. egregia |
Binomial name | |
Plaxiphora egregia (H. Adams, 1866) [1] | |
Synonyms | |
Frembleya egregiaH. Adams, 1866; Iredale & Hull, 1932; Dell, 1951; Powell, 1979 |
Plaxiphora egregia is a distinctive chiton in the family Mopaliidae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand, where it is uncommon.
Small flat chiton, 15-25mm in length, usually oval with some individuals almost round. Crests of the valves are smooth with radial ribs and granular grooves running down to the edges, the whole usually light greenish with darker blotches. The yellowish brown girdle is relatively wide and is covered in spicules. There are tufts of white bristles along the inner girdle at the base of each valve suture and at the head, with shorter bristles surrounding the margin poking outwards. P. egregia hollows out a cavity in bull kelp holdfasts, usually on exposed rocky coasts, from low intertidal to shallow subtidal zones. Found from Cook Strait south to Stewart Island.
Chitons are marine molluscs of varying size in the class Polyplacophora, formerly known as Amphineura. About 940 extant and 430 fossil species are recognized.
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Sypharochiton pelliserpentis is a species of chiton in the family Chitonidae. As the species name suggests, the surface of the girdle in this chiton has a pattern of overlaying scales resembling snakeskin, and it is commonly referred to as the snakeskin chiton. The Māori name for the species is papatua.
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Acanthopleura granulata, common name the West Indian fuzzy chiton, is a medium-sized tropical species of chiton. This type of chiton's activity does not depend on spring-neap oscillations leading to lower locomotion loss. Its morphology is different from usual chitons as it has a fifth valve, which is split into halves.
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Acanthochitona fascicularis is a common chiton in the family Acanthochitonidae.
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Plaxiphora caelata is a small chiton in the family Mopaliidae, endemic to the main islands of New Zealand, Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands.
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Acanthochitona crinita is a species of marine chiton in the family Acanthochitonidae. It is found on rocky coasts in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.