Chitons · Marine Life

Tulip chiton (Rhyssoplax polita)

Close-up of a tulip chiton on a bed of coralline algae. Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2023) – iNaturalist

Previously Chiton tulipa.

An attractive chiton with smooth pink valves streaked and flecked with a wide range of brown patches and zigzags. Girdle striped, covered with large, smooth overlapping scales.

Typically 30 – 40 mm.

A well-known and brightly-coloured chiton common under rocks near low tide, usually solitary.

Two Oceans: A Guide to the Marine Life of Southern Africa (2007).
Chiton camouflaging under a boulder on encrusting algae, with a tiny pheasant shell (Tricolia capensis). Fishhoek, Western Cape (2020) – iNaturalist
Tulip chiton hiding under a boulder at low tide. Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2023) – iNaturalist
Details of the plates of a tulip chiton. Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2023). – iNat

Leave a comment