Abalone are members of a large class (Gastropoda) of mollusks having
one-piece shells. They belong to the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis,
which means sea ear, referring to the flattened shape of the shell.
Abalone shells are rounded or oval with a large dome towards one end. The shell has a row of respiratory pores. The muscular foot has strong suction power permitting the abalone to clamp tightly to rocky surfaces. An epipodium, a sensory structure and extension of the foot that bears tentacles, circles the foot and projects beyond the shell edge in the living abalone. Nine species of abalone occur in North America: black (H. cracherodii), flat (H. walallensis), green (H. fulgens), pink (H.
corrugata), pinto (H. kamtschatkana), red (H. rufescens), threaded (H. assimilis), Western Atlantic (H. pourtalesii), and White (H. sorenseni) abalone.
- Black Abalone
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Black abalone (H. cracherodii) have black and smooth epipodium
and tentacles. The shell surface is black or dark blue, and smooth.
There are 5 to 9 open pores, and the pores are flush with the
shell surface. Black abalone range from Mendocino County, California
to southern Baja California. They are found in intertidal and
shallow subtidal zones down to a depth of about 20 feet. Black
abalone reach 7.75 inches in length, but are commonly 5 to 6 inches
long.
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- Flat Abalone
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Flat abalone (H. walallensis) have a mottled yellowish and brown
epipodium, with a pebbly appearing surface and lacy edge. The
tentacles are greenish and slender. The shell is flattened, narrow,
and marked with low ribs. There are 5 to 6 open pores, and the
pore edges are moderately elevated above the shell surface. Flat
abalone range from British Columbia, Canada to San Diego, California.
They are found in the subtidal zone from 20 feet down to at least
70 feet. Flat abalone reach 7 inches in length, but are commonly
under 5 inches.
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- Green Abalone
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Green abalone (H. fulgens) have a mottled cream and brown epipodium,
with tubercles scattered on the surface and a frilly edge. The
tentacles are olive green. The shell is usually brown, and its
surface marked with many low, flat-topped ribs that run parallel
to the pores. There are 5 to 7 open pores, and the pore edges
are elevated above the shell surface. A groove often parallels
the outer edge of the line of pores. Green abalone range from
Point Conception, California to Bahia Magdalena, Baja California.
They are found in the intertidal and subtidal zones down to at
least 30 feet. Green abalone are often found in crevices where
surfgrass and algae cover is dense. They reach 10 inches in length,
but are generally smaller.
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- Pink Abalone
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Pink abalone (H. corrugata) have a mottled black and white epipodium
with many tubercles on the surface and a lacy edge. The foot is
yellow to light orange. The tentacles are black. The shell is
thick and its surface is marked with wavy corrugations. There
are 2 to 4 open pores, and pore edges are strongly elevated above
the surface. Pink abalone range from Point Conception, California
to Santa Maria Bay, Baja California. They are found in the subtidal
zone from 20 feet down to at least 120 feet, commonly in beds
of giant kelp. Pink abalone reach 10 inches in length, but individuals
over 7 inches long are now rare.
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- Pinto Abalone
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Pinto abalone (H. kamtschatkana) have a mottled pale yellow to
dark brown epipodium, with a pebbly appearing surface and lacy
edge. Tentacles are yellowish brown, or occasionally green, and
thin. The shell is irregularly mottled and narrow. There are 3
to 6 open pores, and the pore edges are elevated above the shell
surface. A groove often parallels the line of pores. Pinto abalone
range from Sitka, Alaska to Monterey, California. They are found
in the intertidal and subtidal zones down to at least 70 feet.
Pinto abalone reach 6.49 inches in length, but are commonly 4
inches long. Pinto abalone are also known regionally as northern
abalone.
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- Red Abalone
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Red abalone (H. rufescens) usually have a black epipodium, but
some specimens have a barred black and cream pattern on their
epipodium. The surface of the epipodium is smooth and broadly
scalloped along the edge. The area around the foot is black and
the sole is tan to gray. The tentacles are black. The shell surface
is generally brick red and the inside edge is often red. There
are 3 to 4 open pores, and the pores are moderately elevated above
the shell surface. Red abalone range from Sunset Bay, Oregon to
Tortugas, Baja California. North of Point Conception, they are
found in the intertidal and subtidal zones down to at least 60
feet. South of Point Conception, they are found in the subtidal
zone down to over 100 feet. Red abalone reach 12.3 inches in length,
but are commonly 7 to 9 inches long.
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- Threaded Abalone
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Threaded abalone (H. assimilis) have a mottled pale yellow to
dark brown epipodium with a pebbly appearing surface and frilly
edge. The tentacles are yellowish brown, short and thin. The shell
is oval and the surface is marked with prominent ribs interspersed
with narrow ones. There are 4 to 6 open pores, and the pores are
moderately elevated above the shell surface. Threaded abalone
range from San Luis Obispo County, California to Bahia Tortugas,
Baja California. They are found in the subtidal zone from 20 feet
down to at least 80 feet, commonly on rock surfaces. Threaded
abalone reach 6 inches in length, but are commonly smaller. Threaded
abalone are considered a subspecies of the pinto abalone by some
scientists.
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- Western Atlantic Abalone
- Western Atlantic abalone (H. pourtalesii) have a yellowish epipodium
with large and small sensory tentacles. The sole of the foot is
tan. The shell is reddish-orange. Western Atlantic abalone range
from North Carolina through the Gulf of Mexico to Brazil. They
are found from 187 feet down to at least 1,200 feet on hard substrates.
The largest recorded shell had a length of about 1.2 inches.
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- White Abalone
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White abalone (H. sorenseni) have a tan and pebbly epipodium.
The sole of the foot is orange. The shell is deep, thin and oval.
There are 3 to 5 open pores, and the edges of the pores are elevated
above the shell surface. White abalone range from Point Conception
to Bahia Tortugas, Baja California. Most white abalone are found
in the Channel Islands in California. White abalone are found
in the subtidal zone down to at least 200 feet. They are commonly
found in open, exposed areas. White abalone reach 10 inches in
length, but are commonly 5 to 8 inches long.
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- The white abalone, once abundant, has experienced near extinction
from intense commercial and sport havesting in the 1970's. Now,
proposed
as and endangered species, scientists are focusing on restoring
the white abalone population. Recently, researchers at UC
Santa Barbara sucessfully spawned
about 6 million white abalone larvae.
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Images provided by and with the permission of the California Department of Fish and Game.
The above descriptions were found at the Seafood Network Information Center at UC Davis.
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©Tom Gray
Last Updated: 05/31/2001
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