Abalone

About Abalone

Single-shelled marine snails valued for their meat and iridescent shells.

Haliotis cracherodii, the black abalone, is a species of large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalone. This species is relatively small compared with most of the other abalone species from the eastern Pacific, and it has a relatively smooth dark shell. This used to be the most abundant large marine mollusk on the west coast of North America, but now, because of overfishing and the withering syndrome, it has much declined in population and the IUCN Red List has classed the black abalone as Critically Endangered.

Haliotis cracherodii, the black abalone, is a species of large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalone. This species is relatively small compared with most of the other abalone species from the eastern Pacific, and it has a relatively smooth dark shell. This used to be the most abundant large marine mollusk on the west coast of North America, but now, because of overfishing and the withering syndrome, it has much declined in population and the IUCN Red List has classed the black abalone as Critically Endangered. Taxonomy Haliotis cracherodii comprises two subspecies: Haliotis cracherodii californiensis Swainson, 1822 (synonyms: Haliotis bonita Orcutt, 1900; Haliotis californiensis Swainson, 1822) Haliotis cracherodii cracherodii Leach, 1814 (synonyms: Haliotis expansa Talmadge, 1957; Haliotis holzneri Hemphil, 1907; Haliotis imperforata Dall, 1919; Haliotis lusus Finlay, 1927; Haliotis rosea Orcutt, 1900; Haliotis splendidula Williamson, 1893) Description The coloration is dark brown, dark green, dark blue or almost black. The silvery interior of the shell shows a pale pinkish and greenish iridescence. The exterior of the shell…