Abalone

A large marine snail or gastropod of the family of molluscs Haliotidae. More than 50 species have been identified. Abalone have a hard shell and a muscular foot. They inhabit rocky shorelines, from shallow water up to depths of approximately 40 m. Their shells are rounded or oval with a large dome towards one end. The shell has a row of respiratory pores. The muscular foot has strong suction power, permitting the abalone to clamp tightly to rocky surfaces. Abalones have succulent meaty bodies with a delicious flavour, placing them in high demand in Japan, China and other Asian countries. With their capture fisheries in serious decline, abalone farming is expanding in Taiwan, Chile, Iceland, Mexico, USA, Australia, Thailand and several countries in South-east Asia; however, South Africa is the world’s largest producer of cultured abalone. In the natural environment abalone graze on benthic (bottom-growing) algae, but formulated diets from a combination of animal and plant protein sources have been developed for feeding farmed abalone.