Hidden Armor, New Species: Scientists Find a Chiton in Korea's Coastal Waters
South Korean researchers have identified a new chiton species, Acanthochitona feroxa, living under stones along the west and south coasts. Using mitochondrial DNA sequencing and COI markers, they showed it is genetically distinct from the similar Acanthochitona defilippii, revealing hidden biodiversity in a lineage dating back more than 80 million years and highlighting the power of genetics in modern species discovery.