Green Abalone
CR

Green Abalone

Haliotis fulgens

Declining

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haliotis_fulgens

Overview

Haliotis fulgens, commonly called the green abalone, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Haliotidae, the abalone. The shell of this species is usually brown, and is marked with many low, flat-topped ribs which run parallel to the five to seven open respiratory pores that are elevated above the shell's surface. The inside of the shell is an iridescent blue and green.

The Green Abalone faces severe population collapse primarily due to decades of overharvesting and withering syndrome, a fatal disease caused by the bacterium Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis. Commercial and recreational fishing drastically reduced populations before protective measures were implemented, while the bacterial infection continues to cause mass mortality events. Ocean warming and acidification further stress remaining populations by affecting their kelp forest habitat and shell formation.

Threat summary

Habitat

Green Abalone inhabit rocky subtidal areas along the Pacific coast from Point Conception, California to Baja California, Mexico, typically found at depths of 6-40 meters. They require hard substrate surfaces in kelp forests and rocky reefs where they graze on drift algae and kelp.

Marine neritic· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionHabitat & natural process restorationSpecies managementSpecies recoverySpecies reintroductionAwareness & communicationsCompliance and enforcement

Other threatened species in HALIOTIDAE

VU

Haliotis stomatiaeformis

Unknown
White AbaloneCR

White Abalone

Haliotis sorenseni

Declining
Black AbaloneCR

Black Abalone

Haliotis cracherodii

Declining
Pink AbaloneCR

Pink Abalone

Haliotis corrugata

Declining

Threatened in Costa Rica

EN

Passiflora chimuensis

Unknown
EN

Palicourea brenesii

Unknown
EN

Baird's Tapir

Tapirus bairdii

Declining
CR

Mespilodaphne paradoxa

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Green Abalone classified as Critically Endangered?
Green Abalone is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Green Abalone faces severe population collapse primarily due to decades of overharvesting and withering syndrome, a fatal disease caused by the bacterium Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis. Commercial and recreational fishing drastically reduced populations before protective measures were implemented, while the bacterial infection continues to cause mass mortality events. Ocean warming and acidification further stress remaining populations by affecting their kelp forest habitat and shell formation.
Where does Green Abalone live?
Green Abalone occurs in Costa Rica, Guadeloupe, Japan, Mexico, Namibia, and New Zealand (plus 2 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Green Abalone?
The main threats to Green Abalone are 11.1, 11.3, 2.1, and 2.3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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