About Acanthochitona zelandica (Quoy & Gaimard, 1835)
Acanthochitona zelandica has an oval-shaped body that can grow up to 30.1 mm in length and 20 mm in width. Its individual median shell valves (excluding the head and tail valves) are small, usually no more than 5 mm wide and 4 mm long. Both the shell and girdle are generally light brown, with darker brown spots scattered across the shell. The girdle is covered in small clusters of protective spines, which gives this species the common pseudonyms "hairy chiton" and "tufted chiton".
Acanthochitona zelandica occurs off the coast of New Zealand, around the North Island, South Island, Stewart Island, and Auckland Island, including sites such as the Otago Peninsula and the Bay of Islands. It is less common on more exposed west coast beaches. It inhabits intertidal and shallow subtidal areas, at depths reaching up to 10 meters. This species primarily lives on, under, and in crevices of coastal rocks. It has also been observed living within clumps of the Pacific oyster Magallana gigas, most likely to avoid being smothered by rising mud levels.
