''Callochiton crocinus'' is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
chiton or "sea cradle" in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Callochitonidae
Callochitonidae is a family of molluscs belonging to the order Chitonida.
Genera:
* ''Callochiton'' Gray, 1847
* '' Eudoxochiton'' Shuttleworth, 1853
* ''Leloupia
''Leloupia'' is a monotypic genus of chitons belonging to the family Callochitoni ...
. It occurs on the shores of the
Australia-
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
region. Locally, it is known as "smooth chiton", but that name is elsewhere applied to other species.
It is a rather colorful member of its
class
Class or The Class may refer to:
Common uses not otherwise categorized
* Class (biology), a taxonomic rank
* Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects
* Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...
, yellowish- to reddish-brown with white spots; its
scientific name means "
saffron
Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in ...
-colored beautiful chiton".
Synonyms
This chiton has a somewhat convoluted
taxonomic history, being described no less than four times as supposedly new species.
Tom Iredale
Tom Iredale (24 March 1880 – 12 April 1972) was an English-born ornithologist and malacologist who had a long association with Australia, where he lived for most of his life. He was an autodidact who never went to university and lacked forma ...
believed the individual variation found in ''C. crocinus'' represented no less than three different species – actually, these were not even
subspecies but merely chance variants –, while
Arthur Adams, unaware that the animal had already been validly described shortly before he did, established a name that was a
junior homonym
In biology, a homonym is a name for a taxon that is identical in spelling to another such name, that belongs to a different taxon.
The rule in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is that the first such name to be published is the se ...
. The invalid names of the present species are thus:
* ''Callochiton platessa''
Suter, 1913
* ''Chiton crocinus''
Reeve, 1847
* ''Chiton versicolor''
A. Adams, 1852 (''non'' G.B.Sowerby II, 1839: preoccupied
The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
* In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linn ...
)
* ''Levicoplax platessa''
(Suter, 1913)
* ''Paricoplax crocina''
(Reeve, 1847)
* ''Paricoplax perscrutanda''
Iredale & Hull, 1929
References
*
Powell, A.W.B. (1979): ''New Zealand Mollusca'',
William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand.
Callochitonidae
Chitons of New Zealand
Chitons described in 1847
{{Chiton-stub