Chiton
Various species - e.g. Lepidochitona cinerea
Chitons clamp themselves tightly to rocks, their eight shell plates forming a segmented “armour.” They graze on algae at night and can be easy to miss unless you check carefully under stones during low tide. On Lihou, look for them on wave-exposed rocks or tucked into rocky crevices, where they remain unnoticed by day.
- Habitat: Hard, rocky surfaces in the lower intertidal and shallow subtidal; often under stones or in crevices.
- When to See: Year-round
- Length: 1–3 cm