US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
Katharina tunicata is an herbivore. Its main food sources are brown (Phaeophyta) and red (Rhodophyta) algae (Mohler 1997).
Common along Pacific Northwest Coast. Especially common in the San Jaun Islands and Strait of Jaun de Fuca (Niesen 1997).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
Katharina tunicata is found in the middle and upper zones of the rocky intertidal, and can withstand hard wave action. This chiton is often seen near the borders of mussel clumps. (Niesen 1997; Mohler 1997)
Aquatic Biomes: coastal
Katharina tunicata is a medium sized chiton, with an average length of 7 cm. Its black girdle almost completely covers the eight whitish plates, leaving a diamond shaped pattern down the dorsal side. The plates are sometimes overgrown with algae, so they will appear green (Mohler 1997). Like most chitons, K. tunicata is oval shaped, but when removed from the rock it will ball up (Karleskint 1998). The underside of K. tunicata is commonly peach colored,and houses the gills and mouth. The foot is surrounded by mantle and is usually darker orange.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Kathrina tunicata, like all chitons, has seperate sexes. Katharina tunicata spawns March through July. Chitons do not copulate; instead, the male release sperm and fertilzation occurs in the sea or in the mantle trough of the female, depending upon the species. After fertilization, eggs can be shed, or are brooded in the mantle cavity of the female. This is also species-dependent. Chitons have a free swimming (trochophore) larvae which develops into the adult(Dorit 1991).
