Red abalone
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Haliotis rufescens Temporal range: 70 –0 Ma |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Clade: | Vetigastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Haliotoidea |
| Family: | Haliotidae |
| Genus: | Haliotis |
| Species: | H. rufescens |
| Binomial name | |
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Haliotis rufescens Swainson, 1822 |
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| Synonyms | |
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The red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, is a species of very large edible sea snail in the family Haliotidae, the abalones, ormer shells or paua. It is distributed from British Columbia, Canada, to Baja California, Mexico. It is most common in the southern half of its range.
Red abalone is the largest and most common abalone found in the northern part of the state of California, and it is the only species of abalone still legally harvested there, though on a restricted basis.
Red abalone live in rocky areas with kelp. They feed on the kelp species that grow in their home range, including giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), feather boa kelp (Egregia menziesii), and bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Juveniles eat coralline algae, bacteria, and diatoms. They are found from the intertidal zone to water more than 180 m (590 ft) deep, but are most common between 6 and 40 m (20 and 131 ft).
The red abalone's shell length can reach a maximum of 31 cm (12 in), making it the largest species of abalone in the world.
The shell is large, thick, and dome-shaped. It is usually a brick red color externally. Typically the shell has three or four oval holes or respiratory pores. These holes collectively make up what is known as the selenizone which form as the shell grows. The inside of the shell is strongly iridescent and has a large central muscle.
This species was used as the subject in a study of the microscopic development of nacre.
Below the edge of the shell, the black epipodium and tentacles can be seen. The underside of the foot is yellowish white in color.
Red abalones are subject to a chronic, progressive and lethal disease: the withering syndrome or abalone wasting disease. This disease has had a poorly understood impact on the species overall, but populations still seem low.
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Wikipedia