More about abalone

Abalone breed by releasing their eggs, or sperm, depending on their sex, into the water, through the holes in their shells. The female produces about 11 million eggs. The male sperm fertilizes the female eggs, which eventually develop into larvae, which float in the plankton.

After about seven days, the larvae sink to the seabed and begin to develop into adults. They will develop and grow for two years before they themselves are able to breed.

As you may imagine, only a small portion of this larvae survives to maturity. Many are swept away on ocean currents, others are eaten by predators such as starfish, crabs and fish.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Vetigastropoda
Superfamily: Haliotoidea
Family: Haliotidae
Genus: Haliotis

Species:
Haliotis australis, Australian abalone, Austral abalone
Haliotis ancile, Shield abalone
Haliotis aquatilis, Japanese abalone
Haliotis asinina, Ass’s ear abalone
Haliotis assimilis, Threaded abalone
Haliotis barbouri
Haliotis brazieri, Brazier’s abalone
Haliotis clathrata
Haliotis chimcham Chimcham abalone
Haliotis coccoradiata, Reddish-rayed abalone
Haliotis conicopora, Conical pore abalone, brownlip abalone
Haliotis corrugata, Pink abalone
Haliotis cracherodii, Black abalone
Haliotis crebrisculpta, Close sculptures abalone
Haliotis cyclobates, Whirling abalone
Haliotis dalli, Dall’s abalone
Haliotis discus, Disk abalone
Haliotis dissona
Haliotis diversicolor, Variously coloured abalone doi:10.1007/s10592-008-9740-9
Haliotis diversicolor supertexta, Taiwan abalone, jiukong
Haliotis dohrniana, Dhorn’s abalone
Haliotis elegans, Elegant abalone
Haliotis emmae, Emma’s abalone
Haliotis ethologus, Mimic abalone
Haliotis exigua
Haliotis fatui
Haliotis fulgens, Green abalone
Haliotis gigantea, Giant abalone, Awabi
Haliotis glabra, Glistening abalone
Haliotis hargravesi, Hargraves’s abalone
Haliotis howensis, Lord Howe abalone
Haliotis iris, Blackfoot abalone, Rainbow abalone, Pāua
Haliotis jacnensis, Jacna abalone
Haliotis kamtschatkana, Pinto abalone or northern abalone
Haliotis kamtschatkana assimilis
Haliotis kamtschatkana kamtschatkana
Haliotis laevigata, Smooth Australian abalone, greenlip abalone
Haliotis madaka
Haliotis mariae
Haliotis melculus, Honey Abalone
Haliotis marfaloni, Marfalo Abalone
Haliotis midae, Midas ear abalone, perlemoen abalone, South African abalone
Haliotis multiperforata, Many-holed abalone
Haliotis ovina, Oval abalone, sheep's ear abalone
Pink abalone, Haliotis corrugataHaliotis parva, Canaliculate abalone
Haliotis patamakanthini
Haliotis planata, Planate abalone
Haliotis pourtalesii, Pourtale’s abalone
Haliotis pulcherrima, Most beautiful abalone
Haliotis pustulata
Haliotis queketti, Quekett’s abalone
Haliotis roberti
Haliotis roei, Roe's abalone
Haliotis rosacea, Rosy abalone
Haliotis rubiginosa
Haliotis rubra, Ruber abalone
Haliotis rufescens, Red abalone
Haliotis rugosa
Haliotis scalaris, Staircase abalone, ridged ear abalone
Haliotis schmackenmuut, Norweigan Schmackenmuut Bay abalone
Haliotis semiplicata, Semiplicate abalone
Haliotis sorenseni, White abalone
Haliotis spadicea, Blood-spotted abalone
Haliotis speciosa, Splendid abalone
Haliotis squamata, Scaly Australian abalone
Haliotis squamosa, Squamose abalone
Haliotis thailandis
Haliotis tuberculata, Green ormer, European edible abalone, tube abalone, tuberculate ormer
Haliotis unilateralis
Haliotis varia, Variable abalone
Haliotis venusta, Lovely abalone
Haliotis virginea, Virgin abalone
Haliotis walallensis, Northern green abalone, flat abalone

Bibliography:
Aquatic LIfe of the World, Volume 1, Abalone-Barracuda, 2001

A is for Abalone

Abalone are mollusks. They are found on seashores and shallow coastal waters in those parts of the world that have warm water, a rocky floor, and plenty of seaweed (their food of choice).

Abalones are part of a group of mollusks called gastropods. Gastropods have coiled shells. An abalone's shell is wide and flat and is used as a shield over its back.

The ridged outer surface of the shell is typically encrusted with algae, which allows it to blend into the surrounding rocks. The body within the shell is simple. It clings to and crawls across rocks using a "foot" - a large muscle. Around this foot are tentacles that detect chemicals in the water. It also has a pair of simple eyes, which can distinguish between light and dark.

Abalone are a popular seafood. Below is a video a diver made of hunting red abalone off the coast of Sonoma, CA for his dinner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7Q5bzewFZo

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