| Northern abalone | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Vetigastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Haliotoidea |
| Family: | Haliotidae |
| Genus: | Haliotis |
| Species: | H. kamtschatkana |
| Binomial name | |
| Haliotis kamtschatkana (Jonas, 1845) |
|
The northern abalone or pinto abalone, Haliotis kamtschatkana, is a species of large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones.
Contents |
The pinto abalone has an adult shell size of approximately 4 inches, but it can rarely grow as large as 6 inches. The shell is flattened and ear-shaped, and has 3 to 6 respiratory holes. The interior of the shell is iridescent.The shell is generally green-brown but can have white or blue coloration and has a somewhat scalloped edge. The epipodium is lacy and green-brown in color. Tentacles surrounding the foot and extending out of the shell sense food and predators.
Pinto abalone are found in kelp beds along outer well-exposed coasts from Sitka, Alaska along the coast of Canada to Point Conception, California.
The distribution of this species also include Korea.[2]
California-Pinto abalone were never a major component of recreational or commercial catch. There was however a 10-fold decline in abundance in northern California. (156,00 in 1971 to 18,000 in 1999-2001)
Alaska-Peak harvest was between 1978 and 1981 (260,000 lbs); average harvest declined to 50,000 lbs in 1994. The commercial fishery was closed in 1996; recreational free-diving fishery remains.
Washington-There was no historical commercial fishing; the recreational fishing closed in 1994 due to declines in abundance. Surveys in the San Juan Islands indicate a decline in density at many sites. Densities at all but one site are below or within the minimum range for successful fertilization. Abalone size has increased between 1996 and 2006 but abundance has not.
Canada-The fishery began in the early 1970's and the peak fishery was in 1977-1978 (400t). Subsequently there was a population decline and quotas were instituted. As populations did not recover there were continuing quota reductions through 1989 (47.2t) withough population response. The fishery was closed in 1990 to all user groups but there has been continued declines in abundance since closure.
This species lives on rocky shores. These abalones are found intertidally or subtidally near kelp to 30 feet (9 m) depth, but they can be found to 330 feet (100 m) depth. Like all abalones, they are herbivorous.
They broadcast spawn from April to June. Larval dispersal is limited. Lifespan is about 15 years.
Population size has declined due to overharvesting, illegal harvesting, predation by recovering sea otters, and disease. Because of concerns about its status the Northern Abalone is a U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service Species of Concern. Species of Concern are those species about which the U.S. Government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), has some concerns regarding status and threats, but for which insufficient information is available to indicate a need to list the species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The species is called pinto abalone by NMFS. It was declared a spicies of concern by the NMFS in 2004.
The state of Washington never permitted commercial harvest and recreation take was outlawed in 1994. Alaska outlawed commercial harvest in 1996.
Harvest has been illegal in Canada since 1990.
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has listed it as a threatened species. The Canadian Species at Risk Act listed it in the List of Wildlife Species at Risk as being threatened in Canada.[3]
This species is now endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, mainly due to uncontrolled harvesting and poaching of the species for food.
Factors for decline include: over harvest, illegal, unregulated, unreported harvest, predation by recovering sea otters and disease.[1]