Abalone
Abalone are a single-shelled marine snail found right along the Great Southern Reef. They are a reef-dwelling, herbivorous marine mollusc with a large fleshy body and a broad muscular foot that it uses to suction itself to rocks or reefs.
Their shells are rough, flat and ear shaped, which protects them from large swells and movement caused by waves. The inside of their shells are composed of beautiful smooth and shiny nacre (mother of pearl) in order to protect the abalone’s delicate and delicious flesh, which is coveted by a variety of cultures. In addition to eating the abalone meat, humans also use their shells as decorative objects and to make jewelry.
Lazy eaters
The highly valuable greenlip and brownlip found primarily along the Great Southern Reef spawn in late spring and summer. The spawning period is highly influenced by temperature and the availability of food. An abalone’s age can be difficult to determine since its size is not only dependent on how old they are, but also the availability of food. They feed on algae, and prefer red algae, that they catch by raising their shell then clamping down as the algae floats by.
Abalone are a lucrative commercial export, and contribute tens of millions of dollars to the Australian economy each year.
Fast Facts:
Species: Haliotis laevigata
Family: Haliotidae (abalone)
Order: Haliotis (abalone)
Feeding: Algae, preferably red or brown
Habitat: Rocks and reefs along the seafloor. Prefer reefs with high wave exposure and crevices where drift algae accumulates.
Distribution: Found off the coasts of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa and Western North America
Special Power: Suction strength and camouflage
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