Acanthopleura granulata
Size
To 10cm
Description:
Eight overlapping plates (valves). Brown when not encrusted (can appear grey). Girdle is grey, brown or green, with broad, dark bands. Girdle covered with short coarse bristles.
Ecology
This species lives on rocks in the Eulittoral (intertidal) zone. Clings tightly to rocks where it grazes at night on algae. This species can tolerate a lot of sun and expose, being resistant to dessication.
Life Cycle
Eggs hatch into lecitotrophic planktonic trocophore larvae (no veliger stage) which later metamorphose and settle on the bottom as young adults
Ecological Descriptors |
Habitat |
Size (cm) |
Diet |
Behaviour |
Sex |
EuLit, R |
10 |
Veg, Noct |
I |
F |
West Indian Fuzzy Chiton
*
289