114/150: The Magnetic Gumboot Chiton

Animalia: Mollusca: Polyplacophora: Chitonida: Acanthochitonidae: Cryptochiton: Cryptochiton stelleri (von Middendorff, 1847)

Chitons are some underrated interesting creatures. Like their better-known relatives, the gastropods, chitons have a mantle, a muscular foot for locomotion, and a radula for eating. Their radula, or ‘rasping tongue’ is made up of many teeth like structures that are capped with magnetite, an element with enough magnetic power to pick up these chitons with a magnet. They use their radula to scrape the algae off rocks, and the red algae they are known to consume contributes to their brick red colour. Chitons are distinctly made up of eight individual and attached shells, unlike the rest of their shelled relatives, and are the only mollusk that has living tissue within their shells. Gumboot chiton are the largest known species of chiton, and are not the best at clinging to the substrate they are found on. This has led to ease of harvesting, making them a delicacy in some countries. Although marine, this species is found in intertidal zones, and is known to breathe atmospheric oxygen when exposed and out of water. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: RBCMI464-14

nucleotide sequence

GACTTTATATATTTTATTTGGGATTTGATCGGGTTTAGTAGGAACAGCTTTAAGTTTACTTATTCGAGCTGAGTTAGGGCAACCTGGGGCTCTTTTAGGAGATGACCAATTATATAATGTAATTGTTACTGCTCATGCTTTTGTCATAATTTTTTTTTTAGTTATACCTATAATGATTGGGGGGTTTGGAAATTGATTAGTACCTTTAATGTTAGGAGCACCAGATATAGCGTTTCCACGGCTAAATAATATAAGTTTTTGGTTGCTGCCGCCAGCTTTATGTCTTTTATTAGCTTCGGCTTTAGTGGAAAGAGGGGCCGGTACTGGGTGGACAGTTTACCCTCCTTTAGCAAGAAATATTGCTCATGCTGGGGGGTCTGTAGATCTGGCTATTTTTTCTTTACATTTAGCAGGTGTTTCCTCTATTTTAGGGGCGGTTAATTTTATTACTACTGTGTTAAATATACGGTGGGAGGGAATACAATTAGAACGATTACCTTTGTTTGTATGATCAGTAAAAATTACAGCTATTTTATTACTTTTATCTTTACCTGTGTTGGCTGGGGGAATTACTATATTGTTAACAGACCGAAATTTTAATACTGCTTTTTTTGATCCTGCTGGAGGGGGGGATCCTATTTTGTATCAACATTTATTT

amino acid sequence

TLYILFGIWSGLVGTALSLLIRAELGQPGALLGDDQLYNVIVTAHAFVMIFFLVMPMMIGGFGNWLVPLMLGAPDMAFPRLNNMSFWLLPPALCLLLASALVESGAGTGWTVYPPLASNIAHAGGSVDLAIFSLHLAGVSSILGAVNFITTVLNMRWEGMQLERLPLFVWSVKITAILLLLSLPVLAGGITMLLTDRNFNTAFFDPAGGGDPILYQHLF

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAI9979