Giant Chiton
Plaxiphora obtecta
Description 5
A large chiton, up to 90mm (47 to 87mm long, 29 to 57mm wide). The plates are usually covered by algae etc but underneath it has smooth dark greenny-brown plates (Morton says with "blue zig-zag markings") with a white stripe along the centre ridge. The girdle is wide and fleshy, covered in a stubble of bristles, and has little "V" inroads covering the corners of the plates.
Distribution 5
Very common on exposed shores of the west coast of the Auckland area, from mid intertidal to about 15m deep. North Island and South Island.
Synonyms 5
Plaxiphora (Guildingia) obtecta (Carpenter in Pilsbry, 1893) (original combination)
Plaxiphora suteri (Pilsbry, 1894)
References 5
New Zealand Mollusca, Marine Land and Freshwater Shells, A W B Powell, 1979
The New Zealand Sea Shore, J Morton & M Miller, 1968
Sources and Credits
- (c) Tony Wills, all rights reserved, uploaded by Tony Wills
- (c) Tony Wills, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Tony Wills
- (c) Femorale, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.femorale.com/shellphotos/detail.asp?species=Plaxiphora%20obtecta%20Carpenter%20in%20Pilsbry,%201893
- Tony Wills, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), uploaded by Tony Wills
- (c) Tony Wills, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNaturalist NZ Map
| Depth | intertidal, offshore |
|---|---|
| Places | North Island, South Island |
