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The chiton fauna (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) of South Africa
Chitons are a diverse class of molluscs inhabiting marine waters and constitute a significant, yet relatively underexplored group of invertebrates in South Africa. Over the past three decades, taxonomic research has resulted in a pronounced increase in the description of regional chiton species, wit...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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Department of Biological Sciences
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613706910695424 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Erasmus, Karlien |
| author2 | Griffiths, Charles |
| author_browse | Erasmus, Karlien Griffiths, Charles |
| author_facet | Griffiths, Charles Erasmus, Karlien |
| author_sort | Erasmus, Karlien |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Chitons are a diverse class of molluscs inhabiting marine waters and constitute a significant, yet relatively underexplored group of invertebrates in South Africa. Over the past three decades, taxonomic research has resulted in a pronounced increase in the description of regional chiton species, with the result that the most recent (1985- 2006) series of global monographs on chitons by Kaas and Van Belle now cover only 22 of the 50 chiton species currently recognised from the region, highlighting the need for a new synthesis of the fauna. This dissertation documents all the known chiton species inhabiting South African waters and adds new records of species that were previously undocumented. The study identifies an additional eight species new to the region from South African museum collections. A remarkable endemism is found in this group, with 46% of chiton species in South Africa found nowhere else. Of these endemics, 34% can be found only on the South Coast. The dissertation also includes a complete species list of the region and a user-friendly field guide that highlights key taxonomic features of the region's chiton species, with an accompanying binomial key for identification of species. It includes photographs and illustrations to aid in species identification, as well as a distribution map for each species. Chitonida is the largest order found in the region, with Acanthochitonidae, Chaetopleuridae, Chitonidae and Ischnochitonidae as four of the largest families in the region. Leptochiton is the most diverse genus in the region, also indicating a relatively high species richness in deeper waters. Chiton species of the region exhibit a greater species richness to the east and a higher endemicity to the South, with 56% of the species found on the South Coast endemic, though there seem to be a low intensity of collection on the Eastern coast. Although this dissertation adds significantly to the regional chiton fauna, further sampling and research is needed to comprehensively resolve and describe all the species and to assess their conservation status, given the anthropogenic threats these species face, including habitat destruction and possible unethical and unregulated collections. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41604 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:25.249Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Department of Biological Sciences |
| publisherStr | Department of Biological Sciences |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41604 The chiton fauna (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) of South Africa Erasmus, Karlien Griffiths, Charles Chiton fauna Chitons are a diverse class of molluscs inhabiting marine waters and constitute a significant, yet relatively underexplored group of invertebrates in South Africa. Over the past three decades, taxonomic research has resulted in a pronounced increase in the description of regional chiton species, with the result that the most recent (1985- 2006) series of global monographs on chitons by Kaas and Van Belle now cover only 22 of the 50 chiton species currently recognised from the region, highlighting the need for a new synthesis of the fauna. This dissertation documents all the known chiton species inhabiting South African waters and adds new records of species that were previously undocumented. The study identifies an additional eight species new to the region from South African museum collections. A remarkable endemism is found in this group, with 46% of chiton species in South Africa found nowhere else. Of these endemics, 34% can be found only on the South Coast. The dissertation also includes a complete species list of the region and a user-friendly field guide that highlights key taxonomic features of the region's chiton species, with an accompanying binomial key for identification of species. It includes photographs and illustrations to aid in species identification, as well as a distribution map for each species. Chitonida is the largest order found in the region, with Acanthochitonidae, Chaetopleuridae, Chitonidae and Ischnochitonidae as four of the largest families in the region. Leptochiton is the most diverse genus in the region, also indicating a relatively high species richness in deeper waters. Chiton species of the region exhibit a greater species richness to the east and a higher endemicity to the South, with 56% of the species found on the South Coast endemic, though there seem to be a low intensity of collection on the Eastern coast. Although this dissertation adds significantly to the regional chiton fauna, further sampling and research is needed to comprehensively resolve and describe all the species and to assess their conservation status, given the anthropogenic threats these species face, including habitat destruction and possible unethical and unregulated collections. 2025-08-18T11:05:48Z 2025-08-18T11:05:48Z 2025 2025-07-08T06:33:01Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41604 en eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Chiton fauna Erasmus, Karlien The chiton fauna (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) of South Africa |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | The chiton fauna (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) of South Africa |
| title_full | The chiton fauna (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) of South Africa |
| title_fullStr | The chiton fauna (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) of South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The chiton fauna (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) of South Africa |
| title_short | The chiton fauna (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) of South Africa |
| title_sort | chiton fauna mollusca polyplacophora of south africa |
| topic | Chiton fauna |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41604 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT erasmuskarlien thechitonfaunamolluscapolyplacophoraofsouthafrica AT erasmuskarlien chitonfaunamolluscapolyplacophoraofsouthafrica |