Ischnochiton maorianus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ischnochiton maorianus |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: |
Neoloricata
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| Suborder: |
Ischnochitonina
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| Family: |
Ischnochitonidae
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| Genus: |
Ischnochiton
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| Species: |
I. maorianus
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| Binomial name | |
| Ischnochiton maorianus Iredale, 1914
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| Synonyms | |
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Chiton longicymba Quoy and Gaimard, 1835 |
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The Ischnochiton maorianus, also known as the variable chiton, is a type of sea creature called a chiton. It moves quite fast for a chiton! This animal belongs to the Ischnochitonidae family. You can find it only in New Zealand, where it lives on the main islands and is very common.
What it Looks Like and Where it Lives
The variable chiton is a medium-sized animal. It is shaped a bit like a cigar and can grow up to 50 millimeters (about 2 inches) long. Its color is usually a dull brown or grey-green. However, in the northern parts of its home, it can have many different colors. These can range from blue to orange, making it quite pretty!
Body Features
The outer parts of its shell plates, called valves, have small, bumpy lines. These are like tiny grains. The middle parts of the valves are often smooth or worn down. You might also see a white line going lengthwise across the top of its body. The girdle, which is the tough, flexible band around the edge of its shell plates, is narrow. It can have dark or light bands that are not always even.
Where it Lives
This chiton lives in many different places. You can find it in calm harbors or on coasts that are exposed to waves. It lives from the high intertidal zone (the area between high and low tide marks) down to 25 meters deep in the ocean. Often, you will see many of them gathered together. They like to be around the edges of small rocks or just below them in the sand.
