The original sequins

Lepidozona, a genus of chitons, means "scaly girdle."  When you see these chitons up close, you understand where the name comes from.

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.