Abalone. Abalones are mollusks of great tradition and antiquity, well known for their meat; they belong to the genus Haliotis. They are characterized by having an ear- shaped shell with an iridescent and pearly inner face.
Summary
[ hide ]
- 1 Features
- 2 Classification
- 3 Distribution
- 4 Sources
features
It has a single shell covered with mother of pearl. Abalones are mollusks of great ancestry and antiquity, well known for being hunted for their meat; they belong to the genus Haliotis. In Mexico they call them abalones; in Spain the sailors call them “orea”, “ears of the sea” or “ladies”, and the Galicians, “cribias or manquilinas”, being small and with little quality of their mother of pearl; in France they are known as “six eyes” and “abalone”; in England and Greece , “ear of Venus “; in Portugal , “lapa burra”; in Italy , “ears”, and in Australia , ”
Abalone is characterized by having an ear-shaped shell, generally oval and with a convex and rough external surface, arched in the posterior region and flattened in the anterior, with a series of perforations or holes aligned on the region corresponding to the cavity respiratory; the first one is the largest. Numerous organisms are located on the shell, such as crustaceans of the genus Balanus, concentrations of tube worms, and microscopic and macroscopic plants, including some stone algae of the genus Corallina.
The inner face of the shell, when the callus and organs of the animal have been removed, is smooth and in many cases iridescent and pearly. The formation of the shell takes place in the larval stages and its growth is generally annual. The different characteristics and colors of the shells allow the abalone species to be differentiated. The different characteristics and colors of the shells allow the abalone species to be differentiated.
Classification
The “yellow abalone” or “corrugated” (Haliotis corrugata) the shell is circular, thick and raised, 16 to 17 centimeters long; the external face is rough, with wavy wrinkles, a character to which its name alludes, with 2 to 4 holes, externally limited by raised edges like funnels; the inner face of the shell is iridescent, that is, it changes color according to the light, from dark green to pink. It lives at depths between 5 and 29 meters.
The “blue abalone” (Haliotis fulgens) has a slightly thick oval shell; the outer face is colored coffee red, numerous spiral grooves of 18 cm length; the breathing holes are small and circular; the inside of the shell is iridescent and the bright blue color dominates ; it is located between 9 and 27 meters deep.
The “Chinese abalone” (Haliotis sorenseni) shows its thin and oval shell of 13 to 16 centimeters, with a rough reddish-brown external face, with 3 to 5 holes. The inner face is shiny and pearly, which is why it has also been called “white abalone”; the depths at which it is found are between 11 and 20 meters.
The abalone with the largest shell in the adult stage is the “red abalone” (Haliotis rufescens), which has a thick and oval shell 25 to 27 centimeters long, the external face is reddish and the internal iridescent; lives at depths of 14 to 16 meters.
Distribution
Abalones are distributed in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans, in cold waters, generally of the order of 1 to 18 ° C, with salinities of 34 to 36% on rocky coasts with strong tidal and wave action ; They are also found in sheltered inlets and bays during the breeding season.
According to age, their location changes, since the adults live on the rocks, while the juveniles adhere under them or take refuge in holes. Apparently the distribution of these animals is determined by the type of substrate, food availability, breeding season, depth and protection possibilities.
