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José H. Leal

Shell of the Week: The Florida Slender Chiton

Chitons are mollusks with eight (sometimes seven) shelly plates called valves. The Florida Slender Chiton, Stenoplax floridana Pilsbry, 1892 reaches about 38 mm (1.5 inches) and is about three times as long as it is wide. The central areas of valves bear strongly beaded longitudinal ribs, and the end valves have concentrically arranged beads. Its color can be whitish to whitish-green, with markings of darker green or gray This species is not uncommon in the coral reef habitats of South Florida and the Florida Keys, but is not found in Southwest Florida.


The Florida Slender Chiton, Stenoplax floridana, at Boca Chica Key, Lower Florida Keys. Photo by José H. Leal.

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