Haliotis rubra
Blacklip abalone
Haliotis rubra, Port Stephens, NSW, Photo: Tom Davis
Haliotis rubra, Port Stephens, NSW, Photo: Tom Davis
Haliotis rubra, Bermagui, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Haliotis rubra, Bicheno, TAS, Photo: Graham Edgar
Haliotis rubra, D'Entrecasteaux Channel, TAS, Photo: Graham Edgar
Same Genus
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Large reddish abalone with a black-edged foot and numerous fine spiral ridges around the shell that are crossed by irregular radiating ribs. The shells on larger animals are often heavily eroded and partly covered by algae and sessile animals. Although animals tend to aggregate in crevices, this is also the most conspicuous of the large gastropods on most shallow southeastern Australian reefs. Some authorities consider southwestern animals to be a separate species, Haliotis conicopora, because they grow to a larger size than eastern animals and have a darker and less obviously ribbed shell.
Information
Max Size: 22 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 11.3-22.5°C
Depth: 0-40m
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: Widespread (57.9% 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: Many (17 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