Lined Chiton (Tonicella lineata)

Other Names: Red-lined chiton

Description: Lined chitons range from a purple to an orange color with a distinct striped pattern on their eight plates that can be red, blue, or green. Lined chitons are one of the smaller species found at Haystack Rock and are a maximum of 5 cm long. At Haystack Rock they are often found on the underside of rocks near encrusting coralline algae like in the photo to the right.

Habitat: Lined chitons range from The Aleutian Islands in Alaska to The Channel Islands in Southern California. Typically in the low intertidal to shallow subtidal zones, lined chitons live on algae covered rocks.

Diet: Lined chiton feed primarily on coralline algae, but can graze on other species of algae as well.

Tide Pool Tidbits:

• When exposed to air during low tide, lined chiton can lose up to 75% of the water in their body and are still able to fully recover when the tide comes in.

• Lined chitons are often found under or near purple urchins.

Reference: Biodiversity of the Central Coast, Evergreen College, Walla Walla University