Nancy Caruso- Marine BiologistNancy Caruso- Marine Biologist

Green Abalone Restocking Green Abalone Restocking ProgramProgram

Abalone Anatomy andAbalone Anatomy andReproductionReproduction

How do you sex an How do you sex an abalone?abalone?

FemaleMale

Photo credit: Frank O’Donnel

Abalone Life Abalone Life CycleCycle

VocabularyVocabulary EggEgg TrocophoreTrocophore VeligerVeliger Post larval spatPost larval spat JuvenileJuvenile AdultAdult

Abalone release billions of eggs and sperm

The eggs are fertilized by the sperm and become…

EggEgg

Trocophore Larvae Trocophore Larvae (within 24 (within 24 hours) Has a shell!hours) Has a shell!

Veliger LarvaeVeliger Larvae(within 48 hours)(within 48 hours)

Post larval spat Post larval spat (settled/crawling)(settled/crawling)

(14-21 days after fertilization) (14-21 days after fertilization)

Juvenile 1-3 months after Juvenile 1-3 months after fertilizationfertilization

Adult 2 -4 yearsAdult 2 -4 years(grow 1” per year for the (grow 1” per year for the first few years then slowerfirst few years then slowerafter that)after that)

24 Hours

14-21 days

1-3 months

Shell forms

Feeds on egg24 Hours

When do abalone spawn in When do abalone spawn in the ocean?the ocean?

June through NovemberJune through NovemberWhy?Why?

What do Veligers and What do Veligers and trocophores eat? trocophores eat? (while they are (while they are planktonic)planktonic)

Words to knowWords to know EggEgg TrocophoreTrocophore VeligerVeliger Post larval spatPost larval spat JuvenileJuvenile AdultAdult

Game: Whose your Game: Whose your Daddy?Daddy?

LobsterLobster

FishFish

CrabsCrabs

StarfishStarfish

JellyfishJellyfish

abaloneabalone

The End