Species Profile
Chaetopleura
Chiton / Coat-of-mail shell
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumMollusca
ClassPolyplacophora
OrderUnknown
FamilyUnknown
Introduction
Chaetopleura is a benthic marine mollusc found on rocky shores.
It moves slowly and grazes on algae.
It helps maintain algal balance in coastal habitats.
Size & Structure
01
Medium-sized, flattened body
02
Oval shape
03
Dull green or brown colour
04
Eight overlapping shell plates
05
Broad muscular foot
Chaetopleura — 3D Model
General Features
- Coelom
- Eucoelomate (reduced)
- Body plan
- Tube within a tube body plan (Protostomous)
- Germ layer
- Triploblastic
- Metamerism
- Absent
- Body symmetry
- Bilateral symmetry
- Fertilization
- External
- Digestion type
- Complete, extracellular
- Nervous system
- Ladder-like nervous system
- Excretory organ
- Metanephridia
- Body temperature
- Poikilothermic, stenohaline
- Circulatory type
- Open circulation, single
- Development type
- Indirect
- Respiratory type
- Ctenidial respiration
- Mode of excretion
- Ammonotelism
- Circulation system
- Open
- Skeleton structure
- Exoskeleton (eight calcareous shell plates)
- Level of Organisation
- Organ-system level
- Regulation of Osmosis
- Osmoconformer
Ecology
Grazer of microalgae
Prevents algal overgrowth
Part of intertidal food chain
Economic Importance
Used in zoological studies
Helps understand molluscan structure
Ecological importance