In chitons, the girdle is the "rim" surrounding the eight shell plates.
Here are three different species of chitons, all in the genus Lepidozona. There's a lot to appreciate about each one, but remember to look closely at the texture and markings on the plates and especially at the beautiful scales on the girdle! [Click on the images for larger versions.]
Lepidozona cooperi
and a close-up:
Lepidozona (Tripoplax) regularis
and a close-up:
Lepidozona radians
and a close-up:
I hope you can see that these scales and the patterns they create are rather "fancy." I was thinking that they reminded of something, and then I realized what it was — sequins!
These chitons were ~2-3 cm long and were found on rocks in the intertidal zone. All photos were taken in northern Sonoma County on 25 February 2017.
1 comment:
Such beautiful little creatures! Really interesting photos.
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