Descriptions of Abalone Species

Black Abalone Flat Abalone Green Abalone Pink Abalone Pinto Abalone

Red Abalone Threaded Abalone Western Atlantic Abalone White Abalone

Red Abalone

Abalone are members of a large class (Gastropoda) of mollusks having one-piece shells. They belong to the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis, which means sea ear, referring to the flattened shape of the shell.

Abalone 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. An epipodium, a sensory structure and extension of the foot that bears tentacles, circles the foot and projects beyond the shell edge in the living abalone. Nine species of abalone occur in North America: black (H. cracherodii), flat (H. walallensis), green (H. fulgens), pink (H. corrugata), pinto (H. kamtschatkana), red (H. rufescens), threaded (H. assimilis), Western Atlantic (H. pourtalesii), and White (H. sorenseni) abalone.

Black Abalone Black abalone (H. cracherodii) have black and smooth epipodium and tentacles. The shell surface is black or dark blue, and smooth. There are 5 to 9 open pores, and the pores are flush with the shell surface. Black abalone range from Mendocino County, California to southern Baja California. They are found in intertidal and shallow subtidal zones down to a depth of about 20 feet. Black abalone reach 7.75 inches in length, but are commonly 5 to 6 inches long.   Click on the small graphic for a large color image Top of page Flat Abalone Flat abalone (H. walallensis) have a mottled yellowish and brown epipodium, with a pebbly appearing surface and lacy edge. The tentacles are greenish and slender. The shell is flattened, narrow, and marked with low ribs. There are 5 to 6 open pores, and the pore edges are moderately elevated above the shell surface. Flat abalone range from British Columbia, Canada to San Diego, California. They are found in the subtidal zone from 20 feet down to at least 70 feet. Flat abalone reach 7 inches in length, but are commonly under 5 inches.   Click on the small graphic for a large color image Top of page Green Abalone Green abalone (H. fulgens) have a mottled cream and brown epipodium, with tubercles scattered on the surface and a frilly edge. The tentacles are olive green. The shell is usually brown, and its surface marked with many low, flat-topped ribs that run parallel to the pores. There are 5 to 7 open pores, and the pore edges are elevated above the shell surface. A groove often parallels the outer edge of the line of pores. Green abalone range from Point Conception, California to Bahia Magdalena, Baja California. They are found in the intertidal and subtidal zones down to at least 30 feet. Green abalone are often found in crevices where surfgrass and algae cover is dense. They reach 10 inches in length, but are generally smaller.   Click on the small graphic for a large color image Top of page Pink Abalone Pink abalone (H. corrugata) have a mottled black and white epipodium with many tubercles on the surface and a lacy edge. The foot is yellow to light orange. The tentacles are black. The shell is thick and its surface is marked with wavy corrugations. There are 2 to 4 open pores, and pore edges are strongly elevated above the surface. Pink abalone range from Point Conception, California to Santa Maria Bay, Baja California. They are found in the subtidal zone from 20 feet down to at least 120 feet, commonly in beds of giant kelp. Pink abalone reach 10 inches in length, but individuals over 7 inches long are now rare.   Click on the small graphic for a large color image Top of page Pinto Abalone Pinto abalone (H. kamtschatkana) have a mottled pale yellow to dark brown epipodium, with a pebbly appearing surface and lacy edge. Tentacles are yellowish brown, or occasionally green, and thin. The shell is irregularly mottled and narrow. There are 3 to 6 open pores, and the pore edges are elevated above the shell surface. A groove often parallels the line of pores. Pinto abalone range from Sitka, Alaska to Monterey, California. They are found in the intertidal and subtidal zones down to at least 70 feet. Pinto abalone reach 6.49 inches in length, but are commonly 4 inches long. Pinto abalone are also known regionally as northern abalone.   Click on the small graphic for a large color image Top of page Red Abalone Red abalone (H. rufescens) usually have a black epipodium, but some specimens have a barred black and cream pattern on their epipodium. The surface of the epipodium is smooth and broadly scalloped along the edge. The area around the foot is black and the sole is tan to gray. The tentacles are black. The shell surface is generally brick red and the inside edge is often red. There are 3 to 4 open pores, and the pores are moderately elevated above the shell surface. Red abalone range from Sunset Bay, Oregon to Tortugas, Baja California. North of Point Conception, they are found in the intertidal and subtidal zones down to at least 60 feet. South of Point Conception, they are found in the subtidal zone down to over 100 feet. Red abalone reach 12.3 inches in length, but are commonly 7 to 9 inches long.   Click on the small graphic for a large color image Top of page Threaded Abalone Threaded abalone (H. assimilis) have a mottled pale yellow to dark brown epipodium with a pebbly appearing surface and frilly edge. The tentacles are yellowish brown, short and thin. The shell is oval and the surface is marked with prominent ribs interspersed with narrow ones. There are 4 to 6 open pores, and the pores are moderately elevated above the shell surface. Threaded abalone range from San Luis Obispo County, California to Bahia Tortugas, Baja California. They are found in the subtidal zone from 20 feet down to at least 80 feet, commonly on rock surfaces. Threaded abalone reach 6 inches in length, but are commonly smaller. Threaded abalone are considered a subspecies of the pinto abalone by some scientists.   Click on the small graphic for a large color image Top of page Western Atlantic Abalone Western Atlantic abalone (H. pourtalesii) have a yellowish epipodium with large and small sensory tentacles. The sole of the foot is tan. The shell is reddish-orange. Western Atlantic abalone range from North Carolina through the Gulf of Mexico to Brazil. They are found from 187 feet down to at least 1,200 feet on hard substrates. The largest recorded shell had a length of about 1.2 inches.   No image available for this species. Top of page White Abalone White abalone (H. sorenseni) have a tan and pebbly epipodium. The sole of the foot is orange. The shell is deep, thin and oval. There are 3 to 5 open pores, and the edges of the pores are elevated above the shell surface. White abalone range from Point Conception to Bahia Tortugas, Baja California. Most white abalone are found in the Channel Islands in California. White abalone are found in the subtidal zone down to at least 200 feet. They are commonly found in open, exposed areas. White abalone reach 10 inches in length, but are commonly 5 to 8 inches long.   The white abalone, once abundant, has experienced near extinction from intense commercial and sport havesting in the 1970's. Now, proposed as and endangered species, scientists are focusing on restoring the white abalone population. Recently, researchers at UC Santa Barbara sucessfully spawned about 6 million white abalone larvae.   Click on the small graphic for a large color image Top of page Images provided by and with the permission of the California Department of Fish and Game. The above descriptions were found at the Seafood Network Information Center at UC Davis.