PORT PHILLIP BAY


Black-lipped Abalone 

Haliotis rubra Leach, 1814

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

See below for information.

Source: Museum Victoria (2006) Melbourne's wildlife: a field guide to the fauna of greater Melbourne. Museum Victoria and CSIRO Publishing.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Mollusca
Subphylum:
Conchifera
Superclass:
Visceroconcha
Class:
Gastropoda
Subclass:
Orthogastropoda
Order:
Vetigastropoda
Superfamily:
Haliotoidea
Family:
Haliotidae
Genus:
Haliotis
Species:
rubra

General Description

Shell oval shape with holes in an arc around the edge. Live animal has fringed black edge. Shell up to 13 cm long.

Biology

Black-lipped Abalone use the holes in their shell to breathe, moving water over their gills underneath and then out the holes. Catches of this abalone form the most valuable fishery in Victoria.

Habitat

Crevices and under boulders on rocky reefs.

Reefs

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

South-eastern Australia.

Species Group

Sea snails and shells Snails

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

13 cm

Diet

Herbivore

Commercial Species

Yes

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Species Code

MoV 4860

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Patullo, B.

Blair Patullo is Online Producer for marine projects at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Patullo, B., 2011, Black-lipped Abalone, Haliotis rubra, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 10 Dec 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/10938

Text: creative commons cc by licence