Mopalia lignosa (woody chiton)

Found on rocks and shells in the mussel beds.

At the Cove, the hairy and mossy chitons are commonly found. Mopalia lignosa is a rare find. Usually you don’t see them during daylight. Looking under rock isn’t likely to turn up woody chitons. Its orange girdle may be a problem during the day since it stands out. If people can spot it, so can predators. I’ve found them at the beach almost accidentally.

The plates are beautifully designed. They look smooth unless you use a magnifier. The orange girdle looks hairless. You need a magnifier to see the girdle hairs. Woody chitons are fully grown at 3 inches.

All chitons have a tongue called a radula. It is a rasp that lets them scrape algae, protozoa, invertebrates, and so on off rocks for feeding. The radula is supposed to be sharper than a cat’s tongue.