Pink Abalone
CR

Pink Abalone

Haliotis corrugata

Declining

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

Overview

The pink abalone, scientific name Haliotis corrugata, is a species of large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalone.

The Pink Abalone faces severe population collapse due to decades of overharvesting, with commercial and recreational fishing reducing populations by over 99% since the 1950s. Ocean warming and acidification associated with climate change further stress remaining populations by reducing food availability and weakening shell development. Disease outbreaks, particularly withering syndrome caused by bacterial infections, have devastated local populations throughout their range.

Threat summary

Habitat

Pink Abalone inhabit rocky subtidal reefs and kelp forests along the Pacific coast from Point Conception, California to Baja California, Mexico, typically at depths of 5-60 meters. They require hard substrate for attachment and depend on kelp forests and algal communities for food sources.

MARINE· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies managementSpecies recoverySpecies reintroductionCompliance 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
Green AbaloneCR

Green Abalone

Haliotis fulgens

Declining

Threatened in Japan

Acropora hemprichiiEN

Acropora hemprichii

Declining
VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining
Horned GrebeVU

Horned Grebe

Podiceps auritus

Declining
EN

Montipora taiwanensis

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Pink Abalone classified as Critically Endangered?
Pink 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 Pink Abalone faces severe population collapse due to decades of overharvesting, with commercial and recreational fishing reducing populations by over 99% since the 1950s. Ocean warming and acidification associated with climate change further stress remaining populations by reducing food availability and weakening shell development. Disease outbreaks, particularly withering syndrome caused by bacterial infections, have devastated local populations throughout their range.
Where does Pink Abalone live?
Pink Abalone occurs in Japan, Mexico, and United States. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Pink Abalone?
The main threats to Pink Abalone are 11.1, 2.1, 2.3, and 2.4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.