Little ones

We've recorded over 16 species of chitons in the Bodega Bay area, and I think I've shown ~11-12 of those on the blog so far.  There are still quite a few species to document, so here's a new one.

This year Julia introduced us to a wonderful chiton called Leptochiton rugatus.  This is a small chiton — at full size, it only reaches lengths of ~12 mm (~0.5 inches).  Most of the individuals we've encountered have been ~6-7 mm long.

During the past few months we've taken a few photos of Leptochiton rugatus for the record.  Here's a nice view of three individuals on a patch of Derby Hat Bryozoan (Eurystomella bilabiata):

 

And a closer view of one individual:

 

Leptochiton rugatus tends to occur underneath cobbles or boulders that are surrounded by sand.  Eric managed a couple more close-ups.  Here's one on the local granite:

 

And another on a dark background that shows off the slightly orange coloration:

 

You can click on the images for larger versions.