Relevant Synonyms Chiton platei Thiele, 1910 Misidentification -  drawing: Tuvia Kurz

SHORT DESCRIPTION Shell elongate oval, dorsally convex, hardly carinate. Anterior valve with faint concentric wrinkles, intermediate valves divided into lateral areas, on which the wrinkles are parallel to the axis, and a central area where the wrinkles are transverse to the axis. Girdle moderately broad, with small (0.4 x 0.3 mm) scales forming a regular quinconcial pattern. Base (attached side) of scales with a central notch, outer side of scales with 11-14 fine, raised riblets. color : shell dirty-white to yellowish or pinkish, mottled with dark purplish spots on the median areas of valves. Girdle alternating darker and lighter areas, also sometimes with purplish scales. common size : Mediterranean specimen: 16 mm long; up to 20 x 12 mm for Indian Ocean specimens. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The native Mediterranean species of Chiton species striae have radiating rather than concentric sculpture on the valve. The notch of the girdle scales is an unusual character (Kaas, 1979), and the series of blotches on the valves is also a good guide to this species. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Unknown. habitat : on hard substrates including valves of larger molluscs, in shallow water.

1st Mediterranean record Israel, 1974 [1934]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide: Red Sea including Gulf of Aquaba; Indian Ocean: Mozambique, Aden, Ceylon, Maldives; Western Pacific: Indonesia (Moluccas), Torres Straits, Lord Howe Island. Mediterranean: recorded only from Israel in 1934, as Chiton platei (Barash, 1974). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Extremely rare, only known from the occurrence reported here. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Possibly via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Barash A., 1974. Polyplacophora (Mollusca) in the Eastern Mediterranean. Israel Journal of Zoology, 22: 203-204. Barash A. and Danin Z., 1977b. Polyplacophora (Mollusca) from the Eastern Mediterranean. Journal de Conchyliologie, 114(1-2): 3-28. Kaas P., 1979. The Chitons (Mollusca, Polyplacophora) of Mozambique. Annals of the Natal Museum, 23(3): 855-879.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

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