Callochiton crocinus

Callochiton crocinus
Top: terminal valve from dorsal
Bottom: animal from dorsal
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Polyplacophora
Order: Neoloricata
Suborder: Ischnochitonina
Family: Callochitonidae
Genus: Callochiton
Species: C. crocinus
Binomial name
Callochiton crocinus
(Reeve, 1847)
Synonyms

Numerous, see text

Callochiton crocinus is a species of chiton or "sea cradle" in the family Callochitonidae. It occurs on the shores of the Australia-New Zealand region. Locally, it is known as "smooth chiton", but that name is elsewhere applied to other species.

It is a rather colorful member of its class, yellowish- to reddish-brown with white spots; its scientific name means "saffron-colored beautiful chiton".

Synonyms

This chiton has a somewhat convoluted taxonomic history, being described no less than four times as supposedly new species. Tom Iredale believed the individual variation found in C. crocinus represented no less than three different species – actually, these were not even subspecies but merely chance variants –, while Arthur Adams, unaware that the animal had already been validly described shortly before he did, established a name that was a junior homonym. The invalid names of the present species are thus:

References