Plaxiphora aurata (Spalowsky, 1795)

Rosenfeld, Sebastian, Aldea, Cristian, Mansilla, Andres, Marambio, Johanna & Ojeda, Jaime, 2015, Richness, systematics, and distribution of molluscs associated with the macroalga Gigartina skottsbergii in the Strait of Magellan, Chile: A biogeographic affinity study, ZooKeys 519, pp. 49-100 : 55-56

Plaxiphora aurata (Spalowsky, 1795) Fig. 3I

Material examined.

1 spm (30 × 20 mm).

Synonymy.

See Kaas and Van Belle (1994).

Remarks.

Reid and Osorio (2000) mentioned that this species together with the tiny species Leptochiton medinae (Plate, 1899) are the only chitons capable of inhabiting environments with low salinity. Morphologically, this species is distinguished by presenting variable coloring in the valves and in the tegument sculpture ( Sirenko 2006).

Distribution.

WTSP: Valparaíso ( King and Broderip 1832), between Punta Pingueral and Cape Tirúa ( Aldea and Valdovinos 2005). Magellanic: Gulf of Ancud ( Leloup 1956), Estero Elefantes ( Reid and Osorio 2000), Puerto Edén ( Dell 1971), Paso de Indio ( Dell 1971), and Piazzi Island ( Dell 1971); Strait of Magellan ( Dell 1964): Buque Quemado ( Aldea and Rosenfeld 2011), eastern micro-basin of the Strait of Magellan ( Ríos et al. 2003), Laredo Bay ( Mutschke et al. 1998), Punta Arenas ( Rochebrune and Mabille 1889), Río de los Ciervos ( Leloup 1956), Punta Santa Ana ( Ríos et al. 2007), Punta Santa María ( Leloup 1956; this record), and Carlos III Island ( Aldea et al. 2011a); Cockburn Channel ( Dell 1964), Puerto Williams ( Dell 1971), Róbalo Bay ( Dell 1971, Ojeda et al. 2010), Hermite Islands ( Dell 1971), Bertrand Island ( Dell 1971), and Orange Bay ( Rochebrune and Mabille 1889); Malvinas/Falkland Islands ( Dell 1964, Sirenko 2006), San Sebastián Bay ( USNM 2010), and Staten Island ( Sirenko 2006, USNM 2010). SO: Also reported for Antarctica ( Götting 1989).