Mopalia ciliata
Encyclopedia
Mopalia ciliata is a chiton
in the Genus of Mopalia
, commonly known as the Hairy chiton. It is a medium sized marine mollusc up to 5.0 cm in length. It is oval shaped with 8 separate moderately elevated, overlapping ridged valves on its dorsal surface. It resides along the coast of North America.
. 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 or other hard stubstrata in intertidal zones.
. They feed on algae
, bryozoans, hydroid
s and other low-growing organisms.
On their ventral surface they have a partial head, mouth, mantle, mantle cavity, foot, gills, gonopore, nephridiopore and anus. The ventral surface is bordered with the mantle and moving towards the center of the chiton is the mantle cavity. There they have a head on the anterior end and the foot below it extending to the posterior end of the chiton. The mantle cavity is divided into two chambers by ctenidia that circulate water and waste through the chiton. The gill cilia draw in water through the incurrent chamber and run posteriorly in the excurrent stream where they are discharged.
The foot runs the length of the entire ventral surface yet does not extend past the girdle. Its way of motion is by moving its foot in small waves of muscular activity. It is termed as pedal waves. It also uses its foot for holding on to the substrate. They do this by lifting up the central portion of the foot, while retaining a tight seal on the outer portion of the foot. This creates a tight suction against the substrate and allows them to live in heavy wave zones.
Their head is seen only as a partial head because they have no brain or eyes, but they are still responsive to possible predators and waves by creating suction or curling up in a ball.
The radula, made of 17 teeth, has one pair of cusps in each row hardened with magnetite, which makes chiton the only mollusc with these specialized magnetite teeth. They also have a subradular organ that is used for taste.
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.. rhiannon.
Girdle
The girdle is 1/2 to 3/4 the width of the valves. The girdle is studded with spines of spiculed setae.
Setae
The setae are very distinct if viewed under a Scanning Electron Microscope
. They have flat and broad setae, which bare 4 rows of large, curved white calcareous spicules. These are up to 600 micrometers in length.
Radula
The radula
are not very distinguishable. In size they are proportionally 20% smaller than M. kennerleyi, a similar species.
Canal
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 species 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.
Chiton
Chitons are small to large, primitive marine molluscs in the class Polyplacophora.There are 900 to 1,000 extant species of chitons in the class, which was formerly known as Amphineura....
in the Genus of Mopalia
Mopalia
- Species :*Mopalia mucosa*Mopalia ciliata*Mopalia lignosa*Mopalia spectabilis*Mopalia hindsii...
, commonly known as the Hairy chiton. It is a medium sized marine mollusc up to 5.0 cm in length. It is oval shaped with 8 separate moderately elevated, overlapping ridged valves on its dorsal surface. It resides along the coast of North America.
Distribution and 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 CaliforniaBaja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
. 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 or other hard stubstrata in intertidal 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 omnivoreOmnivore
Omnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...
. They feed on algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
, bryozoans, hydroid
Hydroid
-Marine biology:Hydroids are a life stage for most animals of class Hydrozoa, small predators related to jellyfish.-Botany:In mosses, hydroids form the innermost layer of the stem of long, colourless, thin walled cells of small diameter.The cells are dead and lack protoplasm.They function as water...
s and other low-growing organisms.
Biology
A chiton has a dorsal side composed of 8 valves embedded in the mantle tissue. Surrounding the valves is their thick mantle called the girdle. The valves are strong enough for protection, but shaped so that their bodies are flexible for moving on uneven rocks and turning into crevices. Mopalia species' girdles are covered with large setae that distinguish them from other genuses.On their ventral surface they have a partial head, mouth, mantle, mantle cavity, foot, gills, gonopore, nephridiopore and anus. The ventral surface is bordered with the mantle and moving towards the center of the chiton is the mantle cavity. There they have a head on the anterior end and the foot below it extending to the posterior end of the chiton. The mantle cavity is divided into two chambers by ctenidia that circulate water and waste through the chiton. The gill cilia draw in water through the incurrent chamber and run posteriorly in the excurrent stream where they are discharged.
The foot runs the length of the entire ventral surface yet does not extend past the girdle. Its way of motion is by moving its foot in small waves of muscular activity. It is termed as pedal waves. It also uses its foot for holding on to the substrate. They do this by lifting up the central portion of the foot, while retaining a tight seal on the outer portion of the foot. This creates a tight suction against the substrate and allows them to live in heavy wave zones.
Their head is seen only as a partial head because they have no brain or eyes, but they are still responsive to possible predators and waves by creating suction or curling up in a ball.
The radula, made of 17 teeth, has one pair of cusps in each row hardened with magnetite, which makes chiton the only mollusc with these specialized magnetite teeth. They also have a subradular organ that is used for taste.
Characteristics of Mopalia ciliata
ValvesThe 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.. rhiannon.
Girdle
The girdle is 1/2 to 3/4 the width of the valves. The girdle is studded with spines of spiculed setae.
Setae
The setae are very distinct if viewed under a Scanning Electron Microscope
Scanning electron microscope
A scanning electron microscope is a type of electron microscope that images a sample by scanning it with a high-energy beam of electrons in a raster scan pattern...
. They have flat and broad setae, which bare 4 rows of large, curved white calcareous spicules. These are up to 600 micrometers in length.
Radula
The radula
Radula
The radula is an anatomical structure that is used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared rather inaccurately to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food enters the esophagus...
are not very distinguishable. In size they are proportionally 20% smaller than M. kennerleyi, a similar species.
Canal
Mopalia ciliata shares aesthete canal characteristics with M. spectabilis
Mopalia spectabilis
Mopalia spectabilis, commonly known as the Red-flecked Mopalia, is a species of chiton.-Size and description:M. spectabilis is a chiton that has a central area of plates 2-7 pitted in longitudinal rows. The girdle commonly banded light orange and brown. This species nearly always exhibits bright...
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 species 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.