Description

• The white-striped chiton (Chiton albolineatus) is a marine mollusc in the family Chitonidae. Its elongated, flattened oval body is protected by eight overlapping shell plates. The central plate areas are typically olive-green, greyish-purple, or brown, with a dark longitudinal line, while the darker side areas feature distinctive white lines and zigzag markings. Its grey to greenish girdle is covered with small scales edged in brown. Adults can reach approximately 5.5 cm in length.

Range

• This species is endemic to the tropical and subtropical eastern Pacific coast of Mexico, ranging from the Gulf of California south along the mainland coast to Oaxaca. It occurs around Zihuatanejo, Guerrero.

Habitat

• The white-striped chiton inhabits rocky shorelines in the middle and lower intertidal zones and shallow subtidal waters, generally down to about 2 m deep. It shelters beneath rocks and boulders, in crevices, and in depressions on rocky surfaces, emerging to forage when conditions are favourable.

Diet

• Its diet is not well studied, but it is believed to feed primarily by grazing on algae and microscopic films covering rocks. Like other chitons, it uses a specialised rasping tongue called a radula to scrape food from hard surfaces.