The shells of chitons consist of eight calcareous plates surrounded by a fleshy girdle that is embedded with tiny calcareous spicules. The animal has a large foot and a small head with a radula with teeth hardened with iron oxide. Most chitons are herbivorous and graze rock surfaces. Characters used in identification include: the detailed morphology of the calcareous plates, the shape of the spicules and the form of the radular teeth.
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