Import Export: Abalone Feed

Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Abalone Feed

Abalone reach sexual maturity at a small size, and fertility is high and increases exponentially with size. Sexes are separate and fertilization is external. The Abalone eggs and sperm broadcast into the water through the Abalone pores with the respiratory current. A 1.5 inch abalone may spawn 10,000 eggs or more at a time, while an 8 inch abalone may spawn 11 million or more eggs. The Abalone spawning season varies among species with black, green and pink abalone spawning between spring and fall, and pinto abalone spawning during the summer. Red abalone in some locations spawn throughout the year. The Abalone fertilized eggs hatch into floating larvae that feed on plankton until their shells begin to form. Once the Abalone shell forms, the juvenile abalone sinks to the bottom where it clings to rocks and crevices with its single powerful foot. Settling rates appear to be variable. After settling, abalones change their diet and feed on macroalgae.