Leslie Harris, USA
Info
Chiton cumingsii Frembly, 1827
Beetle snails are not as closely related to snails as one might first think. The more than 900 species of the so-called Polyplacophora are mollusks characterized by their eight calcareous plates (fossil finds sometimes have more).
They usually live near the shore under rocks, where they forage for algae and detritus. On their shell they have aragonite crystals, with which they can perceive light differences and sometimes even see.Typical for mollusks: also the beetle snails feedwith the help of their rasping tongue (radula).
By far the majority of beetle snails are algae-eating herbivores that graze on rocks and boulders, but also on shells in the surf zone. However, there are also predatory species.
The keeping itself is quite uncomplicated. Beetle snails are often brought into the tank with live rock, where they prove to be very effective microalgae and detritus exterminators.
The beetle snail Chiton cumingsii is yellowish with concentric bands. The girdle is light olive green or pinkish brown. The underside is white.
The beetle snail is found in Peru and Chile. It grazes on algal coverings in the intertidal zone of solid substrates. The predator of the beetle snail is the mud crab Scylla serrata.
Synonymised names:
Chiton (Chiton) cumingsii Frembly, 1827 · alternate representation
Chiton cumingii Frembly, 1827 · unaccepted
Chiton cumingii var. rufescens G. B. Sowerby II, 1840 · unaccepted
Direct children (1):
Variety Chiton cumingsii var. rufescens G. B. Sowerby II, 1833 (uncertain > taxon inquirendum, use in recent liteature currently undocumented)
Beetle snails are not as closely related to snails as one might first think. The more than 900 species of the so-called Polyplacophora are mollusks characterized by their eight calcareous plates (fossil finds sometimes have more).
They usually live near the shore under rocks, where they forage for algae and detritus. On their shell they have aragonite crystals, with which they can perceive light differences and sometimes even see.Typical for mollusks: also the beetle snails feedwith the help of their rasping tongue (radula).
By far the majority of beetle snails are algae-eating herbivores that graze on rocks and boulders, but also on shells in the surf zone. However, there are also predatory species.
The keeping itself is quite uncomplicated. Beetle snails are often brought into the tank with live rock, where they prove to be very effective microalgae and detritus exterminators.
The beetle snail Chiton cumingsii is yellowish with concentric bands. The girdle is light olive green or pinkish brown. The underside is white.
The beetle snail is found in Peru and Chile. It grazes on algal coverings in the intertidal zone of solid substrates. The predator of the beetle snail is the mud crab Scylla serrata.
Synonymised names:
Chiton (Chiton) cumingsii Frembly, 1827 · alternate representation
Chiton cumingii Frembly, 1827 · unaccepted
Chiton cumingii var. rufescens G. B. Sowerby II, 1840 · unaccepted
Direct children (1):
Variety Chiton cumingsii var. rufescens G. B. Sowerby II, 1833 (uncertain > taxon inquirendum, use in recent liteature currently undocumented)
