Polyplacophora | 
Chitonida | 
Hemiarthridae
			
			
			
				Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range				
				
					Ecology				
				
			
			
				Benthic; depth range 0 - 380 m (Ref. 1875).  Polar			
			
			
				
			
			
			
				Southwest Atlantic, Southern Pacific  and the Antarctic.
			
			
			
			
			
				Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
			
			
				Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm			
			
			
						
			
			
			
			
				
					This is an epibiotic species, found on hard substrata including holdfasts of Macrocystis sp., cobbles encrusted with calcareous red algae and in mussel beds; it is a brooding species that feeds on red and green algae.  It is highly sensitive to desiccation and intolerant to high salinities (Ref. 87801).				
			
			
			
			
			
				Life cycle and mating behavior				
					Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae				
			
			
				
					Members of the class Polyplacophora are mostly gonochoric.  Life cycle:  Eggs hatch into lecitotrophic planktonic trocophore larvae (no veliger stage) which later metamorphose and settle on the bottom as young adults.				
			
			
			
			
			
				Kaas, P. and R.A. van Belle 1985 Monograph of the Living chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora). Vol.1. Order Neoloricata: Lepidopleurina. E.J. Brill publishers, Leiden. 240 p. (Ref. 1875)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
					
						IUCN Red List Status    
						 (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
					
				
			
			
			
			
				CITES status   (Ref. 108899)
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
				Threat to humans  
			
			
				
									
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Human uses  
			
			
							
			
			
				 | FishSource | 			
			
			
			
			
			
Tools
			
			
			
			
				
					More information				
				
					 Population dynamicsGrowth
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Abundance
  Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae   PhysiologyOxygen consumption
  Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
  
			 
			
			
			
				Internet sources
			
			
			
			
			
				Estimates based on models
			
			
			
									
						Preferred temperature  					
				 (Ref. 
115969): 2.3 - 10.1, mean 6.3 (based on 322 cells).			
 
			
			
			
			
			
						
						
						
			
									
						Price category  					
					
					Unknown.