| Haliotis laevigata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Green form ofHaliotis laevigata | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Vetigastropoda |
| Order: | Lepetellida |
| Family: | Haliotidae |
| Genus: | Haliotis |
| Species: | H. laevigata |
| Binomial name | |
| Haliotis laevigata Donovan, 1808 | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Haliotis laevigata, common name thesmooth Australian abalone orgreenlip abalone orwhitened ear shell,[3] is aspecies ofsea snail, a marinegastropodmollusk in thefamilyHaliotidae, theabalone.[2]
The shell measures up to 18 cm (7 in); the species features a distinctive green ring around the foot at the bottom of the shell.[4]
"The large, rather thin shell has an oval shape. The distance of theapex from the margin is one-sixth to one-eighth the length of the shell. The shell is nearly smooth but shows obsolete spiral lirae. The coloration is orange or orange-scarlet, radiately striped with continuous white flames. The coloration consists of continuous oblique stripes of scarlet and whitish. The about 12 perforations are very small. The outline of the shell is oval, with the right and left margins about equally curved. The back of the shell is convex, rounded, and not angulated at the row of perforations. The surface is sculptured with nearly obsolete spiral threads and cords. Thespire is moderately elevated. The whorls number about 2½. The inner surface is silvery. Thenacre is almost smooth, but shows traces of spiral sulci, and is very minutely wrinkled. The columellar plate is rather wide, sloping inward, flattened, and obliquely truncated at the base. The cavity of the spire is large and rather shallow. The perforations are unusually small, their borders not raised outside."[5]
This marine species isendemic to Australia and occurs offSouth Australia,Victoria,Western Australia andTasmania.[6]
In Tasmania, the species is generally found on the northern coast, in particular the area ofRocky Cape, and also in theFurneaux Islands. Unless scuba diving at a reasonable depth of in excess of 30 ft (9 m), it is doubtful that legally sized greenlip abalone will be found. It is one of two abalone species harvested in large quantities in Australia, the other being theblacklip abalone. With decreasing stocks in the wild, thegenome has been sequenced as a preliminary to possibleaquaculture, this species having a large, highly-palatable muscular foot.[7]
