Chiton tuberculatus (West Indian green chiton) (San Salvador Island, Bahamas) 1 (15947947127)

Description:

Description: Chiton tuberculatus Linnaeus, 1758 - West Indian green chiton on exposed aragonitic limestone rock surface in the intertidal zone. Chitons are bilaterally symmetrical, dorso-ventrally flattened molluscs having eight overlapping shells (valves) surrounded by a spicule-covered mantle girdle. Most chitons occupy very shallow marine, rocky shore environments, where they graze on benthic algae by scraping the substrate with a radula. The red structures are encrusting Homotrema rubrum (Lamarck, 1816) rotaliine foraminifera. Classification of chiton: Animalia, Mollusca, Polyplacophora, Neoloricata, Chitonidae Classification of foraminifera: Protista, Foraminiferida, Rotaliina, Homotrematidae Locality: limestone rock surface in intertidal zone landward of Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay, offshore western San Salvador Island, eastern Bahamas. Date: 25 March 2009, 15:07. Source: Chiton tuberculatus (West Indian green chiton) (San Salvador Island, Bahamas) 1. Author: James St. John.