Mopalia ciliata
Class: Polyplacophora
Order: Chitonida
Suborder: Acanthochitonina
Family: Mopaliidae
Genus: Mopalia
species: Mopalia ciliata
Description
Mopalia ciliata is a chiton in the Genus of Mopalia. Mopalia spp. are commonly known as the hairy, mossy or woody chiton. Mopalia ciliata is the Hairy chiton. They are a medium sized marine mollusc up to 5.0cm in length. It is oval shaped with moderately elevated, ridged valves. All species have 8 seperate valves. It resides along the coast of North America.
Distribution & Habitat
The distribution of Mopalia ciliata is somewhat controversial, however it is agreed that it resides on the southern coast of North America as far south as Baja, California. The presence of this species north of California is currently debated whether it be a similar species Mopalia Kennerleyi. Mopalia ciliata are found on the underside of rocks near cracks or crevices in interdidal zones.
Color
Mopalia ciliata's valve colors mainly vary between pale green, white or dark brown. They can have colorful markings sometimes of olive, white, orange, red and blue. The girdle color can be dark green, pinkish or white.
Diet
This species is an omnivore. They feed on algaes, bryozoans, hydroids and other low-growing organisms.
Keying out Mopalia ciliata
Valves
The valves are not always similar. They can vary from broad, to narrow plates as well as smooth or coarse plates. The plates are all nothced posteriorly and have radial rows of pustules. Mopalia ciliata also has a notch on its posterior valve.
Girdle
The girdle is 1/2 to 3/4 the width of the valves.
Setae
The setae are very distinct if viewed under an Scanning Electron Microscope. They have flat and broad setae, which bare 4 rows of large, curved white calcareous spicules. These are up to 600micrometers in length.
Radula
The radula are not very distinguishable. In size they are proportionally 20% smaller than M. kennerleyi, a similar species.
Canal Characteristics
Mopalia ciliata shares aesthete canal characteristics with M. spectabilis and M. swanii. They have a wider range of the slit ray canals that turn downwards towards the slit rays opposed to the short distance other Mopalia spp. have their slit ray canals extended. Another similarity between these three species is their horizontal canals that flank the jugal area fan out laterally opposed to straight.
References
Clark, R. N. 2008. Mopalia kennerleyi Carpenter, 1864, a forgotten species and its southern analogue Mopalia ciliata (Sowerby, 1840)*
. American Malacological Bulletin. 25: 71-76.[1]
Vendrasco, M. J, Fernandez, C. Z, Eernisse, D. J., Runnegar, B. 2008. Aesthete canal morphology in the Mopaliidae (Polyplacophora)*. American Malacological bulletin. 25(1): 51-69[2]