shelled snails text index | photo index
Phylum Mollusca > Class Gastropoda > Family Turbinidae
Abalone
Family Haliotidae
updated Aug 2020

Where seen? Small ones are sometimes seen on our undisturbed reefs, under rocks and rubble.

Features:
4-7cm long, the shell resembles a limpet, flat semi-spherical oval, resembles an ear especially from the underside. There are 5-10 small holes on the upper edge of the shell. The animal has a large fleshy foot edged with fine tentacles, and lacks an operculum. It has large eyes on short stalks, and a pair of long tentacles. The inside of the shell is shiny and pearly, the outside is often well camouflaged with encrustations.

Sometimes confused with limpets.

Terumbu Pempang Kecil, Jun 13

A row of holes at the top of the shell.

Large foot.


Big Sisters Island, Dec 12

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.
Human uses: Temperate climate species grow much larger than tropical species, and are harvested for their shell, used for shell crafts, and the animal is eaten as a delicacy in Asia. Due to the high value of the animal in the food trade, even smaller tropical species are threatened with over collection.

Status and threats: Some of our Abalone species are listed as 'Endangered' on the Red List of threatened animals of Singapore. Due to the loss of natural rocky shores with crevices where they thrive. Seawalls do not appear to be a viable alternative habitat for this animal.

Abalones on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Sisters Islands, May 14

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.

Sisters Island, Dec 12

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr..


Lazarus island, Feb 21
Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook.

Pulau Semakau East, Jul 2018

Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook.


Terumbu Pempang Kecil, Jun 13
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.

Family Haliotidae recorded for Singapore
from Tan Siong Kiat and Henrietta P. M. Woo, 2010 Preliminary Checklist of The Molluscs of Singapore.
^from WORMS.

  Family Haliotidae
  Haliotis asinina (Donkey's ear abalone) (EN: Endangered)
Haliotis clathrata
Haliotis dohrniana=^Haliotis varia
Haliotis varia
(Variable abalone)
Haliotis planata
(EN: Endangered)
Haliotis pustulata=^Haliotis rugosa
Haliotis ovina
(Oval abalone)

Links

References

  • Tan Siong Kiat and Henrietta P. M. Woo, 2010 Preliminary Checklist of The Molluscs of Singapore (pdf), Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore.
  • Abbott, R. Tucker, 1991. Seashells of South East Asia. Graham Brash, Singapore. 145 pp.
  • Davison, G.W. H. and P. K. L. Ng and Ho Hua Chew, 2008. The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened plants and animals of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore). 285 pp.
links | references | about | email Ria
Spot errors? Have a question? Want to share your sightings? email Ria I'll be glad to hear from you!
wildfactsheets website©ria tan 2008