Species: Haliotis kamtschatkana
Pinto Abalone
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Science Review:
Articles:
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.
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.
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Mollusca
Class
Gastropoda
Order
Archaeogastropoda
Family
Haliotidae
Genus
Haliotis
NatureServe
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).
Ecology and Life History
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).
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G3G4
Global Status Last Reviewed
2010-04-21
Global Status Last Changed
2006-05-11
Distribution
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)