Giant western fiery chiton
Cryptochiton stelleri
48.1674, -123.707
Field Notes
Description:
Cryptochiton stelleri (aka Gumboot chiton) is the largest of the chitons, growing to 36 cm (14 in) and over 2 kg (4.4 lb). The first two pics is a young one that was about 8 in.(20.3) long. The first pic shows its underside where they are constructed with a large foot with gills like that of a slug or snail. They have rows of magnetite-tipped teeth that help them scrape algae off rocks (pic3). In these gills they will often host crustaceans and scale worms. Pics 4-6 was a large adult chiton over a foot long.
Habitat:
Spotted in tide pools at Tongue Point. It is found along the shores of the northern Pacific Ocean from Central California to Alaska, across the Aleutian Islands to the Kamchatka Peninsula and south to Japan. It inhabits the lower intertidal and subtidal zones of rocky coastlines.
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