Haliotis fulgens
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.
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.
