Today I specifically set out to pay attention to things I often pass over (foolishly) in my quest for slugs. This chiton is one I learned from Ron Wolf's photos. Previously, I would have just called it a Lined Chiton and moved on, but the zigzag stripes on the "head" valve distinguish this one. Anything named after the Norse god of deception deserves recognition.
One of the prettiest of the chitons, in my opinion. You have to search for this one but if you look in the right places, you will enjoy the colors seen. Your camera will pick up on the colors more than seeing it in person. It feeds primarily on pink coralline algae. Its main enemies are the purple sea star (Pisaster ochraceus). The color is known to be modified by diet as they are pinker when eating corraline algae and greenish when feasting on diatoms. ID from Intertidal Invertebrates of the Monterey Bay Area by Marlin Harms.
