Chiton politus, the tulip chiton, is a medium-sized polyplacophoran mollusc in the family Chitonidae,[1] found on the coast of southern Africa.
The species can display a variety of shell patterns consisting of brown patches and zigzags on smooth pink valves. The central section of each valve often has a striped pattern. The girdle is covered with smooth, overlapping scales and also striped. Average adult length is 30–40 mm.[2]
C. politus occurs along the south coast of Africa, from Cape Columbine in Namibia to the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It is quite common and can usually be found as solitary individuals under rocks near the low tide mark.[2] The original description by Lorenz Spengler recorded it at the Cape of Good Hope.[3]