Tonicella insignis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tonicella insignis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Polyplacophora |
| Order: | Chitonida |
| Family: | Tonicellidae |
| Genus: | Tonicella |
| Species: | T. insignis |
| Binomial name | |
| Tonicella insignis Reeve, 1847 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Tonicella submarmorea,Chiton insignis | |
Tonicella insignis, the white-lined chiton, or red chiton, also known as the hidden chiton, belongs to the Tonicellidae family in the class Polyplacophora, and the phylum of Mollusca.[1][2] Its body length of T. insignis is around 5 cm.[3]
It can be found in the coastal region of Alaska to Oregon in North America.[3] Similar to other types of chitons, T. insignis also lives on hard rocks in the sub-tidal zone and can be found at depths up to 52 meters under water.[3]
Characteristic
Tonicella insignis have camouflaged eight-valve shells with white wavy lines on all valves.[3][4] The shell protects them from predators by blending their bodies into the environment.[5] The special white line on T. insignis is one of the most distinguishable characteristics, which can only be found on the second to the seventh valve.[5]
Tonicella insignis mainly eat phytoplankton and algae that float around them or are on rocks.[5] The shell consists of eight valves which gives them flexibility while crawling through uneven rocks and also the ability to curl up like a ball when facing external threats.[6][7]
Similar species
One closely related species is Tonicella lineata, which has a similar shell color, but instead of white lines on the shell, it has pink or orange lines.[3]
