Cryptoplax oculata
©Anne Hoggett: Cryptoplax oculata from rubble in shallow water off Lizard Island Research Station, length 6 to 8 cm.
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Mollusca
Class
Polyplacophora
Order
Chitonida
Family
Cryptoplacidae
Genus
Cryptoplax
Species
Cryptoplax oculata
Colours
Distinguishing features
A long, thin chiton with reduced and well-separated valves, only the first three readily visible. Characteristically, these valves are ringed with black and white (Bruno Anseeuw, pers. comm., Jul 2020). Mantle otherwise pink/brown with some darker bands. Found in rubble.
Size
- Up to 10 cm (Length of specimens observed at Lizard Island)
Synonyms
Similar taxa
-
Animalia:
species: Cryptoplax larvaeformis
lacks white and black colouration around the first three valves (Bruno Seeuw, pers. comm. Jul 2020). -
Animalia:
species: Cryptoplax burrowi
was recorded from Lizard Island by Hutchings and Peyrot-Clausade (1988) but that may have been a misidentification for C. oculata.
Distribution
Web resources
References
References that assist with identification
- Schwabe, E. (2010). Illustrated summary of chiton terminology (Mollusca, Polyplacophora). Spixiana, 33(2): 171-194. LIRS catalog number 90361.
Other references
- Hutchings, P. and M. Peyrot-Clausade (1988). Macro-boring communites of Porites - a biogeographical comparison, "Proceedings of the Sixth International Coral Reef Symposium".3,Australia, : 263-268. LIRS catalog number 268.