Acanthochitona fascicularis (Linnaeus, 1767)

English Channel to Canarias, Azores to Mediterranean and Black Sea. On rocks and stones, from intertidal to circalittoral. Grazer. Original taxon: Chiton fascicularis. Synonyms: communis, hamatus, heterochaetus. 30m deep, off Poetto, Cagliari, S. Sardinia. 38mm.

Chiton fascicularis with detail of valve 5, in G. B. Sowerby: The conchological illustrations vol. I, London 1841, via BHL. Similar to A. crinita, the species is larger and its dorsal plates have a finer granulation (DORIS): « dense, round, rather small granules arranged in arched lines » (Bonfitto & al., 2011).

Acanthochitona fascicularis on its substrate, pictured by E. Schwabe on WoRMS – (CC BY-NC-SA).

Intertidal, off Pen ar Roz, Trédrez-Locquémeau, west of Lannion, N. Brittany, NW. France. Original picture provided by C. Morvan for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC).

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