'Wandering meatloaf' creature has teeth of iron [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

By Laura Geggel - Editor about 22 hours ago

Its teeth sport a rare iron mineral.



A mosaic image of the "wandering meatloaf's" whole tongue-like radula, detailing all stages of development. (Image credit: Northwestern University)

A weird mollusk, affectionately known as the "wandering meatloaf," has teeth made of a rare iron mineral, previously found only along rocky coastlines, a new study finds.

Researchers detected the rare iron mineral — called santabarbaraite — in the teeth of the rock-grazing mollusk Cryptochiton stelleri, nicknamed the "wandering meatloaf" because it looks just like one with its reddish-brown, up to 14-inch-long (36 centimeters) oval-shaped and shelled body.

The discovery sheds light on how C. stelleri can scrape food off rocks, the researchers said. "[Santabarbaraite] has high water content, which makes it strong with low density. We think this might toughen the teeth without adding a lot of weight," study senior author Derk Joester, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University in Illinois, said in a statement.

The wandering meatloaf, which also goes by the names giant Pacific chiton and giant gumboot chiton, is the largest known species of chiton, a marine mollusk with an ovalish, flattened body that has a shell made of overlapping plates, just like a pillbug. Chitons are known for their remarkably hard teeth, which are attached to their soft, flexible tongue-like radula. While searching for food, chitons scrape their tooth-covered radula over rocks, in order to grab algae and other food.



The "wandering meatloaf" chiton, or Cryptochiton stelleri, in the wild. (Image credit: Jerry Kirkhart)

More:
https://www.livescience.com/mollusk-has-iron-teeth.html