My GIANT chiton

[stang8s]

Here is something you dont see every day. Coolest hitchhiker i got with my rock about 2 years ago.. I have not seen this guy in about 1 year, i figured he was dead but he has been coming out a bit the last few days. I have never seen it all the way out. Now to give you the idea of the scale, note the hammer polyps above and the xenia polyps to the right..

These guys have I think 6 of those plates on their back, you can see 2 in the photo.. Typically chitons in most people reefs are about the size of 1 of the plates on this one..

 

[stang8s]

Here i am looking in the tank at 1:30 AM and I spy this guy out alot further. Wow its big!!

 

[willray]

That's sweeet!

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

that is cool. what exactly is a chiton though? harmless?

 

[Piscevore]

That isn't a chiton!

http://www.woodbridge.tased.edu.au/mdc/Species Register/chitons.htm

 

[stang8s]

i know it doesnt look like most but im pretty sure it is based on the plates on its back. Actually should have 8 of them not 6 like i said earlier. I put a post on dr rons column back when i first saw it and he also said it was. I put a post with new pics for him last night, but i now read that he doesnt look at anything posted on a friday..

 

[stang8s]

See this link. In particular look at the genus on the bottom of the page 2nd photo from the left
http://www.fjas.nl/livingpolyplacophora.htm

 

[Piscevore]

yep, that's it! Good research

 

[stang8s]

Wow i just read that one this size is 100-150 years old!! Crazy

 

[Matt L.]

Gross!

 

[stang8s]

lol we will see how good you look when your 150 years old!