Haliotis roei

Roes abalone
Haliotis roei
Haliotis roei, Perth, WA, Photo: Tom Davis

Distribution

Temperate Australasia


Description

Numerous fine ridges, but lacks the diffuse outward-radiating ribs of most other abalone. It is most abundant at low-tide level in wave-swept areas, with the shells of animals in the most exposed locations often heavily eroded. The species naturally occurs in extremely high densities on limestone rock platforms near Perth and is exploited by both commercial and recreational fishers. It is able to occur in such high densities only because it does not rely on the limited food growing in the immediate vicinity, but feeds mainly on drifting macroalgae.


Information

Max Size: 12 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 13.5-23.3°C

Depth: N/A

Habitat Generalization Index: N/A

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

Occurrence: Frequent (17.1% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Several (6 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney