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Lepidozona mertensii (Merten's chiton)
Copyright © 2008
Mary Jo Adams
This chiton lives on and under rocks from the low intertidal to a depth of 300 feet (90 m.). The valves are arched and the girdle is relatively narrow with scales so small that they may not be visible to the naked eye and are better seen with a magnifier. The girdle is reddish with white banding. Valve color is usually a shade of red: red-orange, brick red, or even reddish purple and sometimes with white patches. The valves may also have tiny knob-like projections although the projections may be worn off. This chiton is thought to feed on red algae and encrusting bryozoans.
An alternate scientific name for this species is Ischnochiton mertensii and other common names include red chiton, red scaled chiton, and mottled red chiton. Note: Mertensii is sometimes spelled mertensi.
This
page was created by Mary Jo Adams on 11/7/08.
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