Space (intertidal height and location/exposure on the rock surface), and food {gut contents) were partitioned among 7 species of sympatric intertidal chitons: Mopaliidae - Mopalia hindsii, M. ciliata, ~· lignosa, M. muscosa, and Katharina tunicata; and Ischnochitonidae - Tonicella lineata and Cyanoplax dentiens. Species distribution relative to intertidal height (-0.3m to +0.9m) showed significant differences. M. hindsii, ~· ciliata, M. lignosa, and T. lineata preferred slopes or undersides of rocks while ~· muscosa, K. tunicata, and c. dentiens occurred on the top horizontal surfaces or in more exposed habitats. Chitons differed significantly in their associations with Lithothamnion, macrophytic algae, Ulva, encrusting red algae {Petrocelis and Hildenbrandia), and invertebrates. Considerable overlap in food types occurred, however, significant differences in utilization of Ulva and diatoms and near significant differences in utilization of invertebrates, filamentous red algae, and Lithotharnnion suggest food resource partitioning. Certain species appeared to \"select\" diatoms, Ulva, and invertebrates from eight food types available in the microhabitat. Movement rates, activity, and behavior differed significantly in one tank experiment and may further ecologically separate the chiton species. However, field studies did not find significant differences among chiton species in distance moved, range of movement, and movement patterns.
","abstract_html":"<p>Space (intertidal height and location/exposure on the rock surface), and food {gut contents) were partitioned among 7 species of sympatric intertidal chitons: Mopaliidae - Mopalia hindsii, M. ciliata, ~· lignosa, M. muscosa, and Katharina tunicata; and Ischnochitonidae - Tonicella lineata and Cyanoplax dentiens. Species distribution relative to intertidal height (-0.3m to +0.9m) showed significant differences. M. hindsii, ~· ciliata, M. lignosa, and T. lineata preferred slopes or undersides of rocks while ~· muscosa, K. tunicata, and c. dentiens occurred on the top horizontal surfaces or in more exposed habitats. Chitons differed significantly in their associations with Lithothamnion, macrophytic algae, Ulva, encrusting red algae {Petrocelis and Hildenbrandia), and invertebrates. Considerable overlap in food types occurred, however, significant differences in utilization of Ulva and diatoms and near significant differences in utilization of invertebrates, filamentous red algae, and Lithotharnnion suggest food resource partitioning. Certain species appeared to "select" diatoms, Ulva, and invertebrates from eight food types available in the microhabitat. Movement rates, activity, and behavior differed significantly in one tank experiment and may further ecologically separate the chiton species. However, field studies did not find significant differences among chiton species in distance moved, range of movement, and movement patterns.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Piercy, Richard D."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Conrad D. Clausen","Elwood McCluskey","David Hessinger"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1984,"date_issued":"1984-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"1984-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:59Z","subjects":["Biology","Chitons; Resource partitioning (Ecology); Chitons -- Habitat"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1017","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Conrad D. Clausen","Elwood McCluskey","David Hessinger"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Piercy, Richard D."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Biology","Chitons; Resource partitioning (Ecology); Chitons -- Habitat"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1017"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Space (intertidal height and location/exposure on the rock surface), and food {gut contents) were partitioned among 7 species of sympatric intertidal chitons: Mopaliidae - Mopalia hindsii, M. ciliata, ~· lignosa, M. muscosa, and Katharina tunicata; and Ischnochitonidae - Tonicella lineata and Cyanoplax dentiens. Species distribution relative to intertidal height (-0.3m to +0.9m) showed significant differences. M. hindsii, ~· ciliata, M. lignosa, and T. lineata preferred slopes or undersides of rocks while ~· muscosa, K. tunicata, and c. dentiens occurred on the top horizontal surfaces or in more exposed habitats. Chitons differed significantly in their associations with Lithothamnion, macrophytic algae, Ulva, encrusting red algae {Petrocelis and Hildenbrandia), and invertebrates. Considerable overlap in food types occurred, however, significant differences in utilization of Ulva and diatoms and near significant differences in utilization of invertebrates, filamentous red algae, and Lithotharnnion suggest food resource partitioning. Certain species appeared to \"select\" diatoms, Ulva, and invertebrates from eight food types available in the microhabitat. Movement rates, activity, and behavior differed significantly in one tank experiment and may further ecologically separate the chiton species. However, field studies did not find significant differences among chiton species in distance moved, range of movement, and movement patterns.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Resource Partitioning in Seven Species of Sympatric Intertidal Chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora)"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Conrad D. Clausen","Elwood McCluskey","David Hessinger"],"dc:creator":["Piercy, Richard D."],"dc:description.abstract":["Space (intertidal height and location/exposure on the rock surface), and food {gut contents) were partitioned among 7 species of sympatric intertidal chitons: Mopaliidae - Mopalia hindsii, M. ciliata, ~· lignosa, M. muscosa, and Katharina tunicata; and Ischnochitonidae - Tonicella lineata and Cyanoplax dentiens. Species distribution relative to intertidal height (-0.3m to +0.9m) showed significant differences. M. hindsii, ~· ciliata, M. lignosa, and T. lineata preferred slopes or undersides of rocks while ~· muscosa, K. tunicata, and c. dentiens occurred on the top horizontal surfaces or in more exposed habitats. Chitons differed significantly in their associations with Lithothamnion, macrophytic algae, Ulva, encrusting red algae {Petrocelis and Hildenbrandia), and invertebrates. Considerable overlap in food types occurred, however, significant differences in utilization of Ulva and diatoms and near significant differences in utilization of invertebrates, filamentous red algae, and Lithotharnnion suggest food resource partitioning. Certain species appeared to \"select\" diatoms, Ulva, and invertebrates from eight food types available in the microhabitat. Movement rates, activity, and behavior differed significantly in one tank experiment and may further ecologically separate the chiton species. However, field studies did not find significant differences among chiton species in distance moved, range of movement, and movement patterns.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1017"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Biology","Chitons; Resource partitioning (Ecology); Chitons -- Habitat"],"dc:title":["Resource Partitioning in Seven Species of Sympatric Intertidal Chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora)"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:59Z"}