Haliotis virginea explained

Haliotis virginea, Virgin pāua, is a species of edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones.^[1]

Description

The size of the shell varies between 30 mm and 75 mm.

Subspecies

• Haliotis virginea crispata Gould, 1847
• Haliotis virginea huttoni Filhol, 1880
• Haliotis virginea morioria Powell, 1938
• Haliotis virginea stewartae Jones & Owen, 2004

DNA extracted from H. virginae shells in museums showed three main population divisions, inhabiting the Three Kings Islands; the Chatham, Auckland, and Antipodes Islands; and mainland New Zealand (as well as Campbell Island). These three clades do not correspond to the subspecies recognised above.^[2]

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to New Zealand.

Human use

See main article: Pāua. Haliotis virginea and two other Haliotis species are known as "pāua" in New Zealand and are a restricted food source.

References

• Geiger D.L. & Poppe G.T. (2000). A Conchological Iconography: The family Haliotidae. Conchbooks, Hackenheim Germany. 135pp 83pls.
• Geiger D.L. & Owen B. (2012) Abalone: Worldwide Haliotidae. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. viii + 361 pp.
• Jones M. & Owen B. 2004. Description of Haliotis virginea stewartae new subspecies (Gastropoda) from subantarctic islands of New Zealand. Of Sea & Shore, 26(2): 81-85

External links

• photos

Notes and References

1. Rosenberg, G. (2012). Haliotis virginea Gmelin, 1791. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=390555 on 2013-02-06
2. Walton . Kerry . Scarsbrook . Lachie . Mitchell . Kieren J. . Verry . Alexander J. F. . Marshall . Bruce A. . Rawlence . Nicolas J. . Spencer . Hamish G. . 2023 . Application of palaeogenetic techniques to historic mollusc shells reveals phylogeographic structure in a New Zealand abalone . Molecular Ecology Resources . en . 23 . 1 . 118–130 . 10.1111/1755-0998.13696 . 1755-098X . 10087340 . 35951485.