About Plaxiphora albida (Blainville, 1825)
Plaxiphora albida, commonly called the white Plaxiphora chiton, is a large chiton species. Individuals typically grow to around 95 millimeters in length, with an overall length range of 40 to 100 millimeters (1.6 to 3.9 inches) and a width of 25 to 38 millimeters (0.98 to 1.50 inches). Its shell is dark green to brown, humped, and oval-shaped, made up of eight rough valves. Its girdle is leathery, brown marked with darker bars, and covered in long bristles.
This is a low-shore chiton species native to south-western Australia, and its range includes Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. Along with Onithochiton quercinus, Plaxiphora albida is endemic to southeastern Australia, and the two species are the most abundant chitons found there. Both species grow to around 80 millimeters in length, and are most often found on the surface of exposed rocky shores. They occur in low-shore algal communities where the tunicate Pyura stolonifera is the most abundant species. The sex ratio of male to female Plaxiphora albida is consistently 1:1.
