Intertidal chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) from the rocky coastline of Guerrero, México, with the description of a new species
Author
Reyes-Gómez, Adriana
Author
Flores-Garza, Rafael
Author
Galeana-Rebolledo, Lizeth
Author
Hernández-Vera, Gerardo
Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Departamento de Botánica y Zoología, Carretera a Nogales km. 15.5, Las Agujas Nextipac, Zapopan, Jalisco, C. P. 45110 México.
Author
Galván-Villa, Cristian M.
Author
Torreblanca-Ramírez, Carmina
Author
Flores-Rodríguez, Pedro
Author
García-Ibañez, Sergio
Author
Ríos-Jara, Eduardo
text
Zootaxa
2022
2022-06-23
5155
4
451
492
journal article
80415
10.11646/zootaxa.5155.4.1
2e18793c-3344-4542-92f3-1775f6276bb7
1175-5326
6691172
E6179D38-97E8-4EAB-8F28-8CF6E508C090
Acanthochitona arragonites
(
Carpenter, 1857
)
Figures 2O
,
13E–K
,
14A–H
Distribution.
Throughout the Mexican Tropical Pacific,
México
. From
Sonora
,
México
to Salinas,
Ecuador
(
Watters 1990
).
Type specimens.
According to
Watters (1990)
,
lectotype
by designation of
Keen (1958:414)
,
BMNH
1857 /64.907.
Type
Locality.
Mazatlán
,
Sinaloa
,
México
.
Material examined.
32 specimens
, maximum size
9.9 mm
long,
5.8 mm
wide. G (n=4); P (n=2);
R
(n=3); S (n=2); U (n=5); F (n=1); E (n=2); N (n=6); J (n=4); I (n=2); A (n=1).
Habitat.
Acanthochitona arragonites
occurs mostly in surf areas exposed to wave action. It was found on the underside of large rocks in protected cracks and crevices and is common under red, brown, and green algae. Adult and juvenile specimens are usually found together, but juvenile specimens were also collected at
3–6 m
depths buried in sand and on the brown macro-alga
Padina pavonica
. We also collected adult specimens on medium-sized rocks buried in sand in a sample from
12 m
depth (
Table 2
).
Remarks.
Previous works on this species focused exclusively in describing and depicting the tegmentum pustule shape and patterns of aesthete openings (
Watters 1990
,
1991
; Thorpe
in
Keen 1971
) and a few other aspects of its morphology. In this study, we also describe and illustrate the radular teeth, which are characterized by small central and minor lateral teeth. The girdle spicules bear longitudinal ribs.
According to
Watters (1990)
this species is known to be rare and almost absent in scientific collections. We believe that this lack of available specimens is due to the difficulty in accessing their habitat, which can be accessed only during the lowest tides.