The Butterfly Chiton is characterised by the visible absence of shell plates that are almost completely covered by its fleshy nodular girdle. It reaches sizes of 7 cm long and can be brown to bright orange. When the animal dies the girdle rots away and the shell valves detach. They often wash ashore singly; they resemble a butterfly in shape and are often sky blue on the underside. Their shell is make up of eight interlocking plates surrounded around the edge by a tough girdle. Chitons have many gills and no eyes. Young chitons have only 7 shells, the eigth develops later completing their coat of armour.

Found regularly in the outer exposed rocky bays of the Otago Coastline. These chitons are found under rocks or ledges where there is a lot of water movement especially on boulders or open rock surfaces among seaweeds in the low intertidal and shallow subtidal, they are often associated with sponges in deeper water.

Grazer.

The great adaption of the chiton is their flexibilty.

Between the Tides : Bradstock