| Concholepas concholepas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Two live individuals ofConcholepas concholepas; the one on the left has been turned over to show the underside of the large muscular foot | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Muricidae |
| Genus: | Concholepas |
| Species: | C. concholepas |
| Binomial name | |
| Concholepas concholepas (Bruguière, 1789) | |
| Subspecies | |
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| Range ofC. concholepas | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Concholepas concholepas, theChilean abalone orPeruvian tolina, is a species of large ediblesea snail, amarinegastropodmollusk. Despite the superficial resemblance,C. concholepas is not a trueabalone (a species in thefamilyHaliotidae), but a member of the familyMuricidae, also known as murex snails or rock snails. This species is native to the coasts ofChile andPeru, where it is calledloco (aChilean Spanish loanword fromMapudungun[2]),pata de burro,tolina, orchanque (Peruvian Spanish).
Due tooverfishing, the harvesting of this species in Chile has been limited by law since 1989.
Concholepas concholepas has a thick, slightly oval, and white-brown to purple-greyshell. Its very fewwhorls makes it resemble aPhrygian cap in shape. The outer surface of the shell shows strong lamellose ribs of which are both radial and circular-concentric.
The shell is shaped almost like that of anabalone, with a very largeaperture compared to other muricids. Aloco cannot hide completely inside the shell if it is turned upside down, so has no need of itsoperculum; instead, it relies on its strong foot to remain in place. The shell is made ofcalcite with an inner layer ofaragonite.[3]
The shells of this species are used asashtrays in Chile.
Concholepas concholepas is abenthicpredator that lives on rocks in temperate waters from sea level to depths of 40 m.[4] Its diet consists ofmytilids (such asSemimytilus algosus andPerumytilus purpuratus) andbarnacles (such asChthamalus scabrosus).[5]
Its geographic distribution ranges fromLobos de Afuera inPeru, toCape Horn inChile, including theJuan Fernández Islands.[6]
Concholepas concholepas isdioecious, which means the populations are divided between male and females, though with no external evidence ofsexual dimorphism. Thefertilisation in this species occursinternally.[7] Incentral Chile, females layeggcapsules on lowintertidal and shallow subtidal rocky surfaces during southern autumn months. After around one month of development inside the capsules, small planktotrophicveligerlarvae (260 µm) are released. The larvae spend the following three months in the water column and once they become competent, they dwell at the sea surface until they settle on rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats down to 30 m.[4] The normal size at which the snail reachessexual maturity is between 5.4 and 6.7 cm; it takes about four years to reach this size.[8]
Shells of the species are parasitized by the barnacle speciesCryptophialus minutus.[9]
Concholepas concholepas is used inChilean cuisine and is commercially marketed worldwide as adelicacy — misleadingly under the name "Chileanabalone". (True abalone areherbivores, whereasConcholepas concholepas is amuricid, acarnivore). Its economic value and ecological importance astop predator have made it the most studied marineinvertebrate species in Chile.[10]
On the Chilean coast,C. concholepas is one of the most important edible mollusc species and is a major product of the aquacultural industry.[11]In 1975, about 5,000 tons were extracted annually. In 1980, the extraction peaked, with a catch of 25,000 tons.[12] Since 1989, extraction is illegal in Chile, but from 1992 onwards, some exceptions have been made foraccredited commercialdivers. The minimum size allowed for extraction is 10 cm. Currently, the only legal way for artisan fishermen or other people to catch locos is to have a Marine Area of Benthonic Resources Extraction permit. Even in these areas, though, extraction is prohibited from December to July fromValparaíso Region northward and from January or February to July south of it. Populations have shrunk and a recent study shows extraction is making anartificial selection to eliminate faster-growing individuals.[6][13] The same study also showed the populations in Chile are relativelyhomogeneous with lowgenetic variability. Due to overextraction, scientists have studied the possibility of commercial cultivation since 1986.
InChilean cuisine, the meat of the foot of these snails is cooked and eaten withmayonnaise or as achupe de locos soup in anearthenware bowl. Thechupe de locos typically contains about six snails' feet, 100 grams of a fatty cheese, such asChanco cheese, two eggs, four spoons of grated bread, salt, and paprika.[14]
Thehemocyanin found in the blood ofC. concholepas has immunotherapeutic effects againstbladder andprostate cancer. In 2006 research,mice were primed withC. concholepas before implantation of bladdertumor (MBT-2) cells. Mice treated withC. concholepas showed a significant antitumor effect. The effects included prolonged survival, decreased tumor growth and incidence and lack of toxic effects.[15]
Concholepas concholepasshells are a potentialproxy-bearer forclimate change studies. There are many fossil shell accumulations inPleistocene coastal terraces. Climate indicators are, by far, less abundant for ancient cold seas; therefore, investigating the ability ofC. concholepas will provide valuable signals for long-term evolution of thesea surface temperatures in cold seas, and might be important in reconstructing theEl Niño Southern Oscillation(ENSO) history.[11]
Other information
C. concholepas won the Mollusc of the year 2023 competition.[16]
Media related toConcholepas concholepas at Wikimedia Commons