Acanthochitona pygmaea
| Acanthochitona pygmaea Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Polyplacophora |
| Order: | Chitonida |
| Family: | Acanthochitonidae |
| Genus: | Acanthochitona |
| Species: | A. pygmaea |
| Binomial name | |
| Acanthochitona pygmaea Pilsbry, 1893 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Acanthochitona pygmaea, commonly known as the striate glass-hair chiton,[2] is a species of chiton in the family Acanthochitonidae.[1]
Description
Acanthochitona pygmaea is a relatively small chiton that can grow to up to about 13 mm (0.5 in) long. The chiton's color is variable, being mostly white, tan, and green but possibly also red and orange. The valves across the body are somewhat broad and beaked with a triangular shape. These valves have longitudinal lines lateral beads. The girdle has a row of 9 silver-white or green tufts of spicules on each side of the valves. The glass-like spicules of the tufts are where the species gets its common name.[3][4]
Distribution and habitat
Acanthochitona pygmaea is found from North Carolina in the United States to Brazil, including throughout the Gulf of Mexico.[5] Within this range, the chiton lives in shallow habitats,[3] including coral reefs.[6].
References
- 1 2 Bieler R, Bouchet P, Gofas S, Marshall B, Rosenberg G, La Perna R, Neubauer TA, Sartori AF, Schneider S, Vos C, ter Poorten JJ, Taylor J, Dijkstra H, Finn J, Bank R, Neubert E, Moretzsohn F, Faber M, Houart R, Picton B, Garcia-Alvarez O (eds.). "Acanthochitona pygmaea (Pilsbry, 1893)". MolluscaBase. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- ↑ "Striate Glass-hair Chiton (Acanthochitona pygmaea) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- 1 2 "Acanthochitona pygmaea – Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum". Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Kaas, Piet (1972). "Polyplacophora of the Caribbean region". Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands. 41 (1): 1–162.
- ↑ "Acanthochitona pygmaea | Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS)". obis.org. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Agudo-Padrón, Ignacio (2021). "Chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) from the Venezuelan Coasts, Southern Caribbean: A Checklist and Brief Review in Advance of Their Knowledge". Aquaculture and Fisheries Studies. 3 (1): 1–3.