Tonicella lineata (Wood, 1815)
Lined chiton
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Family:  Tonicellidae ()
Max. size:  5.08 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthic; marine; depth range 0 - 115 m
Distribution:  Pacific Ocean.
Diagnosis:  Girdle: Microscopically granulated showing concentric growth lines. Lateral areas: Scarcely definable by a slightly raised wide rib. Valves: Variable in design and in color; range from orange-red to deep blood reds or lavenders with white zigzag markings. Markings: Edged in blue in live specimens but the blue color fades quickly in alcohol or in dried specimens. Girdle in alcohol: Cream colored, fading from orange in live specimens (Ref. 296).
Biology:  Intertidal to 115 m (Ref. 289). Abundant in the intertidal zone, and, in some localities, can exceed 50 individuals per square meter of surface area. Lives on cobbles, boulders, and bedrock encrusted with pink coralline algae (Lithothamnion spp.) or unidentified rust-brown encrusting bryozoans (Ref. 290). Herbivorous, feeding primarily on encrusted red coralline algae (Ref. 312).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans: 
Country info:   
 

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