Species: Haliotis kamtschatkana

Pinto Abalone
Species

    Science Review:

    Articles:

    Delicious and now endangered: Can the pinto abalone make a comeback?

    The pinto abalone was a popular sport catch for divers in the Salish Sea until its numbers plummeted to near extinction. Now, the delicious marine snail is on the endangered species list and the focus of an ambitious hatchery and replanting program. A broad coalition of partners has released more than 20,000 young pintos into the wild with the hope that the population will start to rebound.

    Pinto abalone. Photo: Taylor Frierson
    The survival of hatchery‐origin pinto abalone Haliotis kamtschatkana released into Washington waters

    In Washington State, the pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) has declined by 97 percent since 1992 and is unlikely to recover without intervention. A captive rearing and restocking pilot study shows promise for saving wild populations from local extinction.

    Interior shell of pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana). Photo: James St. John (CC BY 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/DNTsBV
    Pinto Abalone in Puget Sound

    Pinto abalone are the only abalone species found in Washington State.

    Pinto abalone. Photo courtesy of Dave Cowles, Walla Walla University.
    Kingdom
    Animalia
    Phylum
    Mollusca
    Class

    Gastropoda

    Order

    Archaeogastropoda

    Family

    Haliotidae

    Genus

    Haliotis

    Classification
    Other Global Common Names
    Northern Abalone - ormeau nordique
    Informal Taxonomy
    <p>Animals, Invertebrates - Mollusks - Other Mollusks</p>
    Formal Taxonomy
    Animalia - Mollusca - Gastropoda - Archaeogastropoda - Haliotidae - Haliotis - (Geiger and Poppe, 2000).
    Short General Description
    A thin-shelled marine mollusk.
    Habitat Type Description
    Marine
    Migration
    <p>true - false - false</p>
    Non-migrant
    true
    Locally Migrant
    false
    Food Comments
    From Abalone Recovery Team (2004):<br>"Within the near shore, exposed or semiexposed coastal waters, northern abalone play the role of herbivore and are prey of many species. Young northern abalone feed on diatoms and micro-algae. Food for juveniles and adult abalone includes macroalgae and kelp. Recovery of northern abalone may be related to the abundance and health of kelp forests in certain areas. Northern abalone compete with other species (e.g., red sea urchins, <i>Strongylocentrotus franciscanus</i>) for food, and interactions with these species should be considered in the recovery strategy."<br>
    Reproduction Comments
    Minimum density for successful fertilization is approximately 0.13 to 0.33 individuals per square meter (NOAA, 2004). Northern abalone spawn synchronously, with groups of males and females in close proximity in shallow waters, broadcasting gametes into the water column (Breen and adkins, 1980 cited in Abalone Recovery Team, 2004). Populations are particularly vulnerable to over-exploitation during spawning periods as reduced fertilization success can be caused by dilution of gametes through reduced adult spawner densities. High densities of adults are required to ensure sufficient recruitment (0.15-0.30/square meter). Planktonic phase is short (12-13 days) and larval exchange in some abalone species may occur in small geographic areas (hundreds of meters to several km). Age at which northern abalone reach 100 mm (initial maturity is 50 mm) is about 6 to 8 years (Sloan and Breen, 1988 cited in Abalone Recovery Team, 2004).
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    G3G4
    Global Status Last Reviewed
    2010-04-21
    Global Status Last Changed
    2006-05-11
    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S2&US.AK=S2&US.CA=S2&US.OR=SNR&US.WA=SNR" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    Global Range
    G - 200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles) - G - This species ranges from Sitka, Alaska, to Pt. Conception, California, in patchy distribution but is predominantly found in Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska, but distribution is patchy (NOAA, 2004; Abalone Recovery Team, 2004).
    Global Range Code
    G
    Global Range Description
    200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.113951