Mopalis ciliata (hairy chiton)

Found on rocks and shells in the mussel beds.

If you aren’t trained to spot these interesting animals, you may walk past scores of them and never see them. They vary from tiny to about 3.5 inches long. This species has a wide girdle (the outer rim) and soft hairs. Unlike Mopalia muscosa it has a notch at the rear end of the last plate.

They do not hide when the sun is out, but they do stay on the north side of the rocks so they don’t get sun full force. They share that with Mopalia muscosa.