Import Export: Abalone Gear

Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Abalone Gear

The abalone has two eyes, a mouth and two tentacles. The mouth has a long, rasp-like tongue called the radula, an organ which grinds kelp small enough so it can be ingested.Abalone have a muscular foot with strong suction power allowing the animal to grip tightly to rocky surfaces. The foot is surrounded by a fleshy mantle, which is fringed by the epipodium, a sensory structure that has tentacles that can feel and taste for food.A stack of shell muscles link the animal to its shell. On a microscopic level, the shell is composed of calcium carbonate bricks that slide and spread the blow horizontally when struck, making the shell exceptionally strong.