Pink Abalone Shell, Haliotis corrugata
Pink Abalone Shell, Haliotis corrugata. Shell collected off the beach in the greater San Diego area, San Diego, California, August 2002. Size: 20.3 cm (8.0 inches) x 16.1 cm (6.3 inches). Collection, photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
Phylogeny: The Pink Abalone Shell, Haliotis corrugata (Wood, 1828), is a member of the Haliotidae Family of Abalone Shells. The genus Haliotis is one of ten genera in this family, and there are sixty-nine species in this genus. They are also known as the Corrugated Abalone Shell and in Mexico as Abulón Amarillo.
Description: Pink Abalone Shells are circular in outline and well arched. Like other abalones, the body whorl makes up the great majority of the shell, and the spire is depressed. The exterior of the shell is sculpted with wavy spiral ridges that are crossed by diagonal ridges that extend to the edges of the shell, yielding a corrugated appearance for which they receive their common name. They have three or four holes that are sharply elevated above the shell surface. Most specimens are heavily overgrown with marine life. The exterior of the shell is greenish gray, gray-brown, or reddish-brown, or a whirled combination of these colors. The interior is a mix of iridescent pink, blue, and green. In living specimens the epipodium is mottled black and white, and the tentacles are gray to black. Pink Abalone Shells reach a maximum length of 25.0 cm (9.8 inches). They have a more circular profile than the Black Abalone and the Green Abalone. They also have a higher profile than Green Abalone, relative to their length.
Habitat and Distribution: Pink Abalone live attached to rocks, often on the underside, or in caves and crevasses. They are found from the low intertidal zone to depths of 55 m (180 feet). They are a subtropical Eastern Pacific species that have a limited distribution within Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean being found north of Bahía Tortugas, Baja California Sur along the central and northwest coasts of the Baja Peninsula.
Ecology and Behavior: Pink Abalone are nocturnal herbivorous grazers that feed primarily on brown algae. They’ll eat attached or drift algae. Their predators include, fish, marine mammals, octopuses and sea stars. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, through broadcast spawning, with external fertilization. Spawning takes place from March to November, peaking in September and October. They are sexually mature at 3-4 years, and can live for 30 years or more. Some sources give them a lifespan of 70 years. They are known to host multiple species of epibionts, including: scaly worm snails, boring sponges, algae, date mussels, and bryozoans. They host caridean shrimp of the genus Betaeus in their mantle in what appears to be a commensal relationship. They also host endoparasitic nematodes and haplosporidians, which can cause a disease called “abalone wasting disease. Pink Abalone were used by indigenous cultures as a food source, and the shells used as tools and jewelry. They have historically been the target of commercial and recreational fisheries. Severe overfishing and the abalone wasting disease have caused Pink Abalone populations to plummet and recovery efforts have been slow and unpredictable. From a conservation perspective Pink Abalone are considered to be Critically Endangered.
Synonyms: Haliotis diegoensis and Haliotis nodosa.