Interesting camouflaged hitchhiker

[colettem]

Anyone ever come across a hitchhiker like this - it looks just like a patch of coralline algae but moves! Is it some kind of sea slug? It's about 8mm in length.

 

[Dubbin1]

stomatella snail

 

[colettem]

Wow, I didn't think it would be a snail - they are the ones with a tiny shell aren't they?

 

[z_rivers]

looks like a chiton. google it to see if thats what you have.

 

[tibbs2]

Thats a Chiton. Algae eaters.

 

[Paintbug]

its a Chiton. they have segmented shells Stomatella snail have a single shell

Chiton
http://web.archive.org/web/20020815020042/www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1999/aug/wb/default.asp

Stomatella
http://www.reefcorner.com/SpecimenSheets/stomatella_varia.htm