HRAP Online Encyclopedia

Chitons

Chitons are a type of mollusk that belong to the class Polyplacophora. These creatures are known for the eight horizontal plates on their backs. Like other mollusks, chitons have a structure on their underside known as a foot that allows them to securely cling to surfaces. This foot looks a lot like the foot on the underside of a typical snail and similarly contains a radula (tongue covered in teeth) to scrape food off of rocks. As with all other marine mollusks, please never try to pry chitons off of rocks as this can significantly harm them.