Suction as a Mechanism of Attachment in Chitons

Abstract

Chitons, like other mollusks, rely upon a variety of adhesive forces to combat factors such as wave action and predation in the intertidal. In this study, we explore what effect suction has upon a chiton’s total force of attachment and tenacity, as well the impact of substrate roughness. In this experiment, we found that suction plays a significant role in chiton attachment over a range of roughness. We also found that a chiton’s adhesive tenacity decreases significantly upon rougher textures.